Shinigami in Love
by Reibai no Kami
Summary: A mysterious girl enrolls at Shibusen, turning Kid's life upside-down.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

**Death the Kid**

Very little about Shibusen surprises me at this point.

Even the daily yelling on the front porch of the institution is no longer a shock.

Is it because it's always the same people? My friends.

I'm still not used to having friends. The concept alone still puzzles me. Why would anyone willing stand beside someone making a horrible mistake, and still back them up – knowing it's not a sound decision?

Maybe mistake isn't the right word, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I like having people that care. It's just that people confuse me. Maybe it's because I'm a little different. Not so different that I can't resonate with them, though.

And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that my father runs Shibusen, so don't think I consider myself special for that. Sure, being on the inside is nice, but there are some situations that I can't find the answers to in the library. But don't tell Maka that. She'd probably try to find the answer to my "problem" on a shelf somewhere.

Anyway, part of it is that I'm just a little different physically.

Having a life span of nearly ten-thousand years is only part if it. Same with the gold eyes and the striped hair. I'm not particularly fond of my hair however…

Okay, focus. Still trying to explain here. And I apologize for the random sighing.

And the mental and emotional breakdowns in certain situations…but we'll deal with that later.

Overall, my point in this little ramble was that I assumed today was like any other day, and as a result was not expecting much of anything of interest to happen on the way in. Maybe I should make a mental note of this realization because I'm not sure how many days it actually applies.

Maybe I've been missing life, hmm?

So first I'll explain that first meeting and things will make a little more sense. Well, as much sense as my life makes. Heh.


	2. Chapter 1 Black Ballerina

_Chapter 1 – Black Ballerina_

**Death the Kid**

The sun had raised high into the sky already. I figured we were running late, the Thompson sisters and me. But here in Death City, Nevada it always looks like the sun is scorching the ground at anytime of day, so it's hard to tell time by the sun.

"Don't bother with him. It's not worth it." A young man's voice stated flatly.

"It's really not worth it." A young woman concurred.

Their voices carried over the courtyard. I knew each person by voice alone. A scuffle at this time of the morning was nothing new. I don't know what made me look over except…

"You seriously want to take me on?! Ha ha ha. That's seriously funny!" Another young man's voice boomed.

With my hands stuffed in my pants' pockets I felt compelled to saunter over. I wasn't in the mood for the noise this early in the morning, but I had some interest in what could cause…

"Black Star, stop it. She's new." A young woman's voice scolded quietly.

…to be so irritating at this time of the morning.

I arrived at the area of the argument. Maka, in a white polo shirt and red plaid skirt was on my left. She had a worn yellow sweater tied around her waist, and she fanned her self with her left hand. I cocked my head to my right.

"What's the situation here?" I asked quietly.

She looked back at the center of the quarrel. "The usual. Black Star's trying to pick a fight with the new girl."

"Ugh." I heard from my right. I shifted and took a look at Soul, who was running his right hand through his white hair. In an unusual move he wore his striped black three piece suit with a red dress shirt. "I didn't think this was going to be such a big deal."

I took a look at the situation. In front of our trio was Black Star, his sky blue hair fuzzy and his wide face red with anger. He tapped his right foot, had his arms crossed across his chest, and stared across the courtyard. The center of the controversy had been moved across the courtyard by his Weapon partner Tsubaki. Tall, quiet, and reserved, she had her back turned to us, and her long black hair partially concealed the subject of the squabble.

I felt my brow narrow and I looked back at Soul incredulously. "Are you trying to protect her or something?"

Soul's red eyes met mine. He then looked back in the direction of Tsubaki and sighed. "She's my second cousin."

That made sense at least. I debated for a moment how Maka felt about that though. They already had a rocky Meister-Weapon relationship. Soul tended to be an uncooperative scythe, and Maka a hot-headed perfectionist. They're usually considered a volatile pair. Not like me and sisters.

I glanced up at Tsubaki and then back at him. "So what's with the suit?" Even I, in my black, semi-formal dress pants and jacket felt underdressed compared to his full suit.

Soul stuffed his hands into his dress pants pockets, ruffling the sleeves. He stared at the still-angry Black Star. "She wanted to make a good impression. I told her that I would take her to meet Shinigami-sama in person and she insisted that I wear this suit. Said something about making a good first impression." He pulled out his right hand and pulled on the lapel of the suit coat. He then put his hand back in his pocket and watched Black Star wearily. "So much for that."

Tsubaki began to return to the circle, her long fair arm around a young woman dressed all in black. She wore a short black dress that flared out and black stockings. With black ribbons tying her white hair down her back and to the sides she looked far younger than her natural age. Or so it seemed. With her fair hair and red eyes, her resemblance to Soul was obvious. Her fair skinned hands were balled in fists, and I thought at first she had first-day jitters by the agitation in her eyes. Then I realized what it was. Her brows were furrowed with anger. She wasn't put off by Black Star's attitude at all. She pulled away from Tsubaki and stood in front of Black Star. Tsubaki simply sighed and hung her head, looking embarrassed.

Soul took a step forward. "Seriously, don't do this Sai." He told her, but his voice was unconvincing. The chances of him actually meaning it seemed slim. I personally don't know anyone who minds seeing a good fight, but Black Star's a tough competitor.

I wondered if Soul knew something the rest of us didn't.

Sai sighed. "That's fine. I'll fight you. I'm kinda tired of your attitude." Her voice was slightly musical, and very light. It was hard to determine her age.

Black Star appeared stunned. "My attitude?! Do you know who you're talking to…?"

Sai eyed Soul aggressively, almost looking for approval.

Soul shrugged. "Works for me. But don't say I didn't warn you." He turned and started to move out of range, pulling Maka along with him by the arm.

Black Star looked towards Sai triumphantly, and puffed his chest out. "Ha!"

Soul stopped briefly and half turned back. "I meant you." He stated flatly. "Serves you right." He then took a dozen steps and turned back around, pulling them safely out of any direct attack.

I took this as the signal to move, and pushed Patty and Liz back towards the far wall. I don't usually have to worry about Liz. She's smart enough to handle herself, but Patty can be an exception to that rule. There was enough going on without having to worry about my own partners getting hurt in the process.

Being slightly taller than me, Liz protested my pushing. "I can move myself, thanks." She stated, scowling back at me.

"Then do it. Now. This might get ugly."

Patty jumped up on the wall and sat down with a flop. "She's tiny though."

I turned about and leaned back against the wall, and sighed. "I know. Just watch, okay?"

"We're going to be late for class, Kid." Liz argued.

"Forget about class. This is important." I retorted.

"But…"

It was barely nine am and they were already wearing on my patience. Sometimes I doubted that had I made a good choice in picking them up. "Just watch and let it go for the moment."

"Hey!" Black Star yelled from the center, in our general direction. "Are you done over there yet?"

I could feel the acid in my voice. "Yes, sorry. Continue."

Tsubaki stood awkwardly in the center with Sai and Black Star. "Um. Should I get a teacher? It can't be registered as an official duel unless it's supervised." She asked quietly, looking more at the ground than the action around her.

Sai cocked her head to the side and looked at Tsubaki curiously. "Aren't you his weapon? Why aren't you fighting with him?"

Soul yelled from the sidelines. "Don't bother. It'll probably be over before you get back."

Tsubaki didn't know who to answer with what, and looked over at Soul.

"Just come stand over here for a moment. Give him a moment in the spotlight." Soul stated with a smirk.

Giving up, Tsubaki jogged to the side and stood next to Maka.

Now I was convinced there was something I was missing.

"Exactly! It's my spotlight!" Black Star roared, garnishing everyone's attention.

Which gave her enough time to disappear from in front of him.

Sai appeared behind Black Star with a shimmer, having flipped over at his back. She smacked him in the center of his back and jumped up. This time she let him see her do it, causing him to flip around and try to punch her. Once again, she landed behind him, this time with a light plop. Sai backhanded him across the back of the head, catching his attention, but it appeared to be nothing else.

"Sai! Stop playing around! I'd like to get to class _eventually!_" Soul yelled, catching everyone's attention but hers.

She jumped back a dozen feet, and sighed. "You're no fun! But can understand that." She yelled back at him, but facing Black Star.

Annoyed by the distraction, Black Star charged at her, but she side stepped him in a blink. Sai brought her left hard down on him hard and he was flattened to the ground.

He coughed. "What the…" Was all I could hear before…

Sai spun on her right foot, housed in little more than a black ballet slipper, and kicked the fallen Black Star in the ribs. He flew some twenty feet and smacked into the wall between Soul's grouping and my own.

I could hear Black Star gasping as he climbed out of the rubble created by the crash. And even a dozen feet away I also heard his rage building in a stream of profanities.

At that point, quiet footsteps coming up the stairs to the institution distracted Sai for a brief moment.

"Spirit-sensei…" She started to say to the tall, red-hair man entering Shibusen.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. A step from the porch itself Spirit stopped and surveyed the situation. Sai was facing him and leaving herself open for attack. Soul in the process of yelling for Black Star to stop…

And me, not thinking about it, charging at Sai to push her out of the way.

But it didn't quite work out. I was faster than Black Star, true. I have having a longer stride, of course. I had expected to hit him, at worst, not the other way around. I was _too_ fast, being fully absorbed in running. I slammed into Sai with full force, but she caught me instead of being pushed back. She simply didn't move in response. With no give, Black Star then slammed into _me_ with full force. I actually got to witness the hit. Not something one forgets easily.

And that would be my _first_ trip to the infirmary over her.


	3. Chapter 2 Hard Like Steel

_Chapter 2 – Hard Like Steel_

**Sai Summers**

"How long has he been out for Spirit?" I asked quietly, standing outside of the infirmary's heavy wooden door.

Clad in an out-dated green suit and dark blue tie, he pulled back his left sleeve with his right hand and looked at his watch. "Almost three hours." He pushed his sleeve back down, and sighed. "I'm kinda surprised. He's pretty durable. I didn't expect him to even be here. Okay, well, maybe…but…"

I cocked my head to the right, and interrupted his rambling. "What do you mean, 'durable'?"

"Hmm." Spirit searched for the right words, and his dark blue eyes avoided my eyes at the same time. "He's not your average student."

I heard Soul make a polite cough from behind Spirit. "He's not human."

I felt my eyes grow larger, and I looked around Spirit to look at him. Soul leaned against the railing on the opposite wall, with his arms crossed a across his chest. "What do you mean?"

"He's a Shinigami." He stated quietly, looking down at the floor.

When he saw the shock on my face, Spirit stepped back and leaned against the door jam of the infirmary. "He's…Shinigami-sama's _son?_ I'm here five minutes and I injure the Reaper's son? Great!" I covered my face with hands. "How embarrassing." I muttered.

Spirit gave a little chuckle. "Well, _you_ didn't actually injure him."

I took my hands down, and the group as a whole looked at the floor to Soul's left. Black Star sat cross-legged on the floor scowling. "How was I supposed to know you'd catch him?" He scoffed.

Soul and I made eye contact for a moment, and then we both looked back at Black Star. "I didn't catch him. The force would have pushed me, except…" I sighed. "I'm sure you noticed Black Star. I'm pretty strong and solid…." I trailed off for a moment.

He seemed thoughtful for a moment. "You do seem unusually strong for your size." He chuckled. "Durable, too. You're not some sort of death god yourself, are you?" Black Star eyed me in suspicion.

I shook my head. "Oh no, I'm just your average weapon." I paused, realizing how it sounded. "Err, yeah, sure." I began to stutter and looked at the floor.

Maka walked up behind me and stood at my right. "You are an Independent Weapon, aren't you? You don't need a Meister, do you?" She leaned forward and looked up at me.

I met her eyes. "No, I don't. I'm glad you're perceptive."

"That's just weird." I heard come from behind Spirit. It was Liz, and had the light antagonism of someone who was no doubt annoyed that I had put her own Meister in the hospital.

Spirit backed up against the door and eyed us both. "Hey now, let's relax, everything will be fine." But he put his hand up in front of his chest, apparently just in case.

I simply stared at her for a moment, knowing anything I said in my defense would be taken wrong in the current situation. "I'm sorry about Shinigami-san. I didn't mean for him to get hurt."

She snorted and looked away.

Spirit broke out into a faux grin. "Anyway!" He patted down his pants and then his jacket pockets. "Here." He pulled out a rectangular silver pin with the word "WEAPON" engraved in it, and then handed it to me.

I took it from him and looked it over. "What this?"

He took a moment to smile. "It's so people know you're a weapon. It helps to know the difference when…" He realized where he planned to take the topic and backtracked his thoughts. "I guess you don't really need one. You don't need to find a Meister." He scratched the back of his head with his right hand.

Soul snorted. "And it'll have every un-partnered Meister stalking her. Great."

"Oh behave, Soul." I unhinged the button's clasp, poked it though the upper right side of my dress and fastened it shut. "I've caused enough trouble for my first day, if Shinigami-sama wants me to wear it, I will." I paused and straightened it. "Besides, isn't my slightly-older cousin supposed to protect me from those vicious Meisters?" I blinked obviously and tried to look innocent.

He rolled his eyes, not buying my act. "We're a day apart. I don't think that amounts to much. And you're the _vicious_ one."

I stuck out my tongue at him on impulse.

A light laugh spread throughout most of the group, with Liz as the exception.

The infirmary door cracked open and a nurse stuck her head out. "He's awake and stable. We are going to keep him overnight though for observation though."

I looked from the nurse to Spirit. "Is it okay if I apologize to Shinigami-san? I feel bad about all of this."

Spirit chucked. "Sure."

I looked at him, at his laugh. Then at Soul, who also smirked. I was obviously missing something humorous.

The nurse backed out of the doorway, and Spirit gave me a little push though the door.


	4. Chapter 3 Call Me Kid

_Chapter Three – Call me Kid_

**Sai Summers**

I closed the door behind me and looked at the closest bed. Without his all-black ensemble and having his head wrapped make Shinigami-sama's son look frail and almost weak. I couldn't help but wonder about that saying "clothes do making the man."

I leaned over the edge of the bed and looked down at him. He appeared to be sleeping, but the nurse had confirmed him awake. His bed had been raised to half-sitting position, likely to keep him elevated in case he was in pain.

"Um," I whispered. "Shinigami-san?"

His eyes snapped open and his gold eyes were filed with confusion. He turned and looked directly at me. "What did you just say?"

I jumped back slightly, and shrunk back. "Um, am I supposed to call you 'sama' too? I didn't know, sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I'm still getting these terms down. It's not like that where I'm from."

He turned away and chortled, trying to not insult. "No. Umm…" He sighed and smiled slightly. "Soul told you you had to call me that, right?"

I relaxed slightly. "Yes, why?"

He looked back at me, his expression softer. "You can call me Kid. Everyone else does. I'm not any different than any other student here. And I don't want to be."

"Then…." I started. Then I realized it. "That's why they were laughing at me. He did that on purpose! And Spirit was in on it. He's just a big kid." I couldn't help but scowl.

Kid's eyebrows lifted. "Spirit? Maka's dad?"

I took a slight gasp. "He's her dad? Poor Maka." I tried to stifle a laugh.

"Agreed, poor Maka." He laughed lightly, but abruptly cringed and put his right hand to his left side. "Ahh."

"Oh man, I'm _so_ sorry about what happened. I didn't think about anyone getting hurt." I sat down on the edge of the bed, and put my hand on top of his instinctively. He turned away, and screwed his eyes shut, almost in fear.

I stood up and backed away from the bed. "Okay, I'm making things worse."

Kid recovered quickly. "It's not you. I'm not particularly good at the basic human interactions." He looked down at his arm, still lying across his chest. "Those ones."

"Do you want me to step out, let someone else in?"

His eyes got large. "Don't let them in yet. I can't handle all of that yet." Kid shook his head slightly. "Being around that group is sometimes like being at the circus. Or in a circus...bunch of clowns…" His voice trailed off.

I smiled. "Trust me; I know how much of a clown my cousin is."

He chortled. "Heh. True. It's more about the amount of noise they make."

"Ahh." I paused. "Hmm, well then we could stall them, I guess..." I scanned the room quickly, and located an extra wooden chair at an empty nurses' station. I stepped over there quietly, but the nurse who had let me in took notice. She looked up. "You can take it."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks."

I swung the chair up with one hang, and hung it over my left shoulder without a thought. That thought caught up with me quickly when I realized Kid was watching. I walked over to the bed and set the chair down, feeling sheepish. "I guess this looks a little odd."

He shut his eyes lightly. "I could already tell. I can see your soul."

"Oh." I sat down in the chair and it squeaked. "I suppose that shouldn't have surprised me. What's it look like?"

Kid reopened his eyes and looked back at me. He seemed tired but was attempting to hide it. "It swirls in two different colors. A light blue and magenta." He took a pause and looked to the side. "Only those who can be both Meister and Weapon appear to have two colors."

"Huh. I never knew that." I replied, solidly in my own thoughts for a moment.

"And it has its hair tied back in pigtails." He chuckled.

I feigned annoyance and pulled out my hair bands. "It does not!"

He attempted to keep a straight face. "Does too."

I scowled at him. "Liar."

Kid gave up and sighed. "Okay, I made that part up." He paused. "You do have a very large soul though. I see why you're here. You must have massive potential. Did my father drag you kicking and screaming here?"

I shifted in my seat. "No, my family – Soul's side of the line – insisted I enroll. Wanted to make sure I used my 'potential'…" I made quotation marks with my hands in the air. "For good and not evil. Or some such nonsense." I shook my head. "I've never been a bad person, so I'm not sure where it's coming from."

Kid sighed. "Parents can be strange sometimes. I'd have more experience, but I barely see my father." He started to stare off in the distance.

"Well, um, what about you?" I asked, trying to direct the conversation back to a safer topic. "You're a death god, why do you need a weapon? Can't you manifest whatever you want?"

He directed his attention back towards me. "Yes, I can. Like I said though, I want to be like everyone else. I'll never be the _same_ as everyone, but I can at least try to relate." The thought seemed to leave a simple smile on his face. Kid shut his eyes and lay back against his pillow.

"So…" My thoughts began to congeal. "You're the Meister without a Weapon, and I'm the Weapon without a Meister? Interesting." A laugh couldn't help but escape me.

He seemed too polite to ask me to leave, but too tired to stay awake any longer. I rose from the chair and pushed it to the foot of the bed. I walked back and pulled the bed's blankets up higher on him. Kid was already lightly snoring, having simply passed out in the middle of our conversation.

The nurse came up behind me and gave a little sigh. I now realized she wore a crisp white uniform, but also a black eye-patch over her right eye. "The sleep is probably good for him. He spends a far amount of time stressed out according to Shinigami-sama." She put her arm around me and directed me from the bed, towards the door.

"Makes sense. He's trying to both be himself and be what his father wants. It would be tough." I put my hand on the door knob and turned back to her. "You'll make sure he's undisturbed the rest of the day?"

"Of course."

"Thanks." I told her with a smile, trying to be polite.

I opened the door, and squeezed out, having to push Spirit out of the way.


	5. Chapter 4 Assignment Board

_Chapter 4 – Assignment Board_

**Sai Summers**

I pushed Spirit in the back, forcing him to move out of my way. The cheap fabric of his jacket ruffled under my hand. He chuckled and leaned against the outer door jam, allowing me to shut the heavy wooden door behind me. I stood wearily at his side. It seemed like the day was dragging on.

"Sorry." He giggled. "It was Soul's idea." His light eyes were crinkled in humor.

I took two steps across the hallway and punched my cousin the in the left shoulder with my right fist. It abruptly wrinkled the fine, black fabric.

Soul laughed, shying away from the punch. "I couldn't help it. You were so serious about how to address people here during the orientation, I couldn't resist."

Maka sighed at his right, and untied her sweater from her waist. "You're such a moron, Soul." She put it over her head and pulled it on, smoothing it over her plaid skirt.

Soul rocked him self forward and half-turned to her, flashing her a toothy grin. Maka simply rolled her eyes at him and turned away, starting down the hall.

"Ooh! You better stop in and see Shinigami-sama, Sai."

I turned back and looked at Spirit. He didn't seem to be delivering that message under good terms, and was biting his lower lip.

But with Spirit it seemed difficult to tell.

I sighed. "Soul, will you go with me? I'm not sure where the office is."

He stood upright and put his left arm around my shoulders. The material of his suit was cold against my back. "Of course! I know this place inside-and-out."

Maka muttered something about having gotten lost yesterday, but Soul ignored her.

Soul started to pull me down the hall and when I heard the light voice of Tsubaki. "We're going on to lecture."

Maka seemed in agreement and her sharp voice carried over the other students in the hallway. "I'm going with you, hold on."

I tried to turn and thank them, but Soul had dragged me a dozen feet down the hall already. I eyed him. "What's your deal, in a hurry to get rid of me?"

His ruby eyes were wide and he smiled. "Oh no, I want to show you something." He smiled, but it was lop-sided.

Soul shuffled me around a corner and passed three more wooden doors, and then came to a stop. He turned half-turned me and looked up to my right. "Did you get to see this during the orientation?"

I turned and looked up in the direction he directed. Rows and rows of six-by-eight inch wooden-frame plaques lined the hallway's wall. They hung in four rows vertically and at least a dozen plaques horizontally. The basis of the plaque appeared to be black chalkboard, and appeared erasable. Some of them had tags that said "complete" or "in process." The number of half-inch stars on the top of the erasable area varied from one to four. All of the plaques had three permanent white lines on them, and some had those lines filled in with names of various students. The stars appeared to be like buttons that were interchangeable on a little track.

"No, we didn't get to see much of the inside. The tour was brief. Probably because Spirit-sensei was fooling around most of the time."

Soul chortled. "Not surprising." He paused and shook his head. "Anyway, this is the assignment board."

"Okay."

Soul released my shoulders and looked over the board for a moment.

He gestured with his right hand in the general direction of the plaques. "So, it tells you what the assignment is, whether or not its completed, who's signed up for it, and how hard it is." He pulled a plaque from the bottom row off and we looked at it closer. "For example, this one is a two-star assignment."

I nodded and looked over his shoulder at the plaque.

"You've got to have at least two one-star Meisters for this one before it can be completed. It's too hard for just one Meister who's not experienced." He ran a finger under one of the white lines. "And only Ox has signed up for it so far, so he can't take it on under a second person signs up for it. The second person who decides to sign up for it contacts Ox and they go to Shinigami-sama's office to get the 'in-process' tag. That way no one else signs up or changes the information. After it's been completed, the Meisters visit him again for the 'complete' tag. It hangs there for seven days, and the plaque is then erased and replaced with a new mission." Soul stepped forward and hung the plaque back on the wall.

"Okay, but why does it hang there for a week if it's been completed?"

He stepped back "Because it's like an honor to complete a mission. You want everyone to know it was _you_."

"Could a two-star Meister take that on by themselves?"

Soul made a sour face. "It's possible, but there could be multiple enemies and multiple people might be necessary. That's why a full description is always made." He shifted on his feet and crossed his arms across his chest. "There's only a hand-full of two-stars at the moment so it hasn't been much of an issue at the moment."

"Hmm." I pointed up at a four-star assignment. "So you would need a two-star Meister and at _least_ two one-stars for that one."

"Correct, but most people leave the four-star assignments to 'special exception' students." He made the symbol for quotation marks in the air.

I repeated his quotation marks action. "Special exception students?"

He looked at me thoughtfully. "People with special abilities, someone who might fall outside the general rules."

"Someone like Kid would qualify, right?"

His eyes narrowed. It didn't seem to be the question he was expecting. And I didn't plan to ask what I thought he _was_ expecting. I needed to keep things simple until I got used to things at the school.

"Yeah, he would qualify. He did take on one of the four-star assignments when he first got here, but that's the only one he did I think." Soul continued to stare at me, his brow furrowed.

A moment of silence passed. I looked at him curiously. "What?"

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"Uhh…ask what?" I tried to play off his question as confusion.

He dropped his shoulders and his face relaxed. "Were you granted an exception status or not?"

"I have no idea." I admitted.

Soul stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. "The last Independent Weapon left Shibusen more than five years ago. I'm sure you fall outside of the normal range of most of the students."

I crossed my arms across my chest. My skin looked exceptionally pale against the dark fabric of my dress. "I don't want to be special, Soul. I don't want special treatment either."

He pulled his right arm out of his pocket, ruffled his white hair with his right hand. "You sound like him. That's why he stopped doing the exception-assignments." He paused and looked at me thoughtfully. "Don't worry too much about it. Except for what happened this morning, most people have no idea." He sighed.

I thought I heard him mutter the word _yet_ under his breath, and I sighed quietly.

Soul directed the conversation back to the subject at hand. "Oh, but you _still_ can't take on a four-star assignment yourself, anyway." He shrugged. "You have to have at least two people, just in case. It's a safety issue. Kid was injured in that fight, so a rule was added that no one can take on a four-star assignment alone."

I simply nodded.

"Anyway." He turned and pointed farther down the hall. "The last door in front of us is the entrance to Shinigami-sama's office. I'm going to head to lecture before I hear a lot of complaints from Maka." Soul looked back at me with a half-smile. He rounded around my back and behind me. "I'll see you in lecture." He took a step, and turned back to me looking serious. "That's assuming he doesn't expel you for the little incident this morning."

I gasped lightly. "What?"

He snorted and a crooked smile broke out on his face. "I'm joking. You're always so serious."

My shoulders relaxed. "No wonder Maka gets mad at you all of the time."

Soul gave a quick wave and strode down towards the lecture hall hallway.

I rolled my eyes and wandered down the hallway to Shinigami-sama's office. I put my hand on the door handle, and tried to prepare myself. I had already done a lot of damage to my reputation in a very short amount of time.


	6. Chapter 5 Topic of Discussion

_Chapter 5 – Topic of Discussion_

**Death the Kid**

On my way into lecture I ran into Soul, and he seemed curious at my sudden presence. "I thought you planned to stay in bed for the day." He asked, eyeing me curiously.

I couldn't help but sigh. "I couldn't sleep anymore." I really didn't feel like discussing my morning in the infirmary any further, and he seemed to pick up on that.

He opened the door and then passed it to me. "We're really late. We're probably going to end up in your father's office for this."

For some reason his words passed over me.

"Where's your cousin?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

Soul was already several steps ahead of me, but turned and looked over his left shoulder. If he noticed my anxiety at asking, he didn't mention it. "She went to check in. She'll probably be here shortly." He continued walked and took a seat in the row next to Maka, who started an immediate discussion about his late arrival.

I realized it was between lectures, but Professor Stein was already sitting at the teachers' desk shuffling papers already for the next session. His presence signaled that it was at least third hour. I approached him, feeling sheepish at my late arrival. "I apologize for being late this morning. Something unexpected happened."

Stein looked up at me from his work. His stitched face seemed fazed by my presence at his lecture. "I'm actually surprised you're here. I heard you had a concussion and were supposed to stay in the infirmary for the day."

I shifted my weight and stuffed my hands in my pants pockets. "I couldn't relax enough to stay there. And I feel well enough to sit in class. There's no real reason for me to stay in bed."

I realized I was making up excuses for coming to class and felt foolish.

Stein looked up and took note of the fact that my head was still wrapped. "Fine, but if I notice any unusual behavior, or you're feeling ill you're going back."

"That's fine." I stated flatly.

Then it hit me.

"How did you find out?" I asked, eyeing him.

Stein blinked. "What do you mean?" He looked back at the desk and rearranged his papers into a different order. "I'm pretty sure most of the school knows about this morning's incident."

I stared at him incredulously, and I felt my eyes narrow. "You're not serious, are you?"

He continued to look at his work. "Turn around and look at the lecture hall."

I did as he instructed and then realized that I _was_ in fact a topic of discussion. Many of the students, most of whom I didn't know by name, appeared to be discussing me. Most looked at me and then began a discussion with their neighbors. Some looked and giggled. I noticed that the only people who didn't were those I counted among my friends.

"Take a seat so I can get started." Stein commented flatly.

I turned and walked up to the third aisle. Instead of bothering to climb over the people already in the row, I climbed over the back of the bench. I took an open space between Liz and Soul. Liz scowled at me like, I had done something terrible, and I tried to ignore her gaze. When I did, she flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and began a discussion with Patty. I folded my arms across my chest and tried to make it look like I wasn't bothered by the discussions and looks.

I was failing miserably at it, apparently.

Soul turned to me, confused. "You sure you're feeling up to being here? You're white as a sheet."

I wasn't going to mince words on his question. "I don't care for being a topic of discussion for people I don't know." I stated harshly.

He sat back in his seat and folded his arms behind his head. "If it was me, I would have stayed in bed. Claimed headaches, or something."

I could hear Maka tell him that was because he was lazy, but I wasn't listening particularly well. I was waiting to see the source of this whole problem.


	7. Chapter 6 Show Off

_Chapter 6 – Show Off_

**Sai Summers**

The first thing I noticed about Shinigami-sama's office is that is was freezing cold.

The second was that it was impossibly large. It felt like the sky had come indoors. I was quite sure I saw a cloud or two float by.

Massive redwood arches lined what would have been a path if we were outdoors.

Crossing out of the archway, I found the Reaper himself hopping about on a round, elevated shimmering platform some twenty feet wide. His white mask and black robes was a picture of simplicity. A floor mirror behind reflected the room, making it appear even larger – if that was even possible.

"Ho ho, it's about time!" His voice boomed.

I cowered at the edge of the platform.

"No no no, come up here, nothing's wrong!" He smiled; if it was possible for a mask to smile.

I obliged him.

"This is your official welcome to the Shinigami Weapon Meister Vocational School. I am already aware of your latent abilities, but I hope the school will bring about a refining and deepening of those abilities."

I nodded. "Thank you for the warm welcome and meeting with me this morning."

"Of course, not a problem." He paused a moment and looked at me intently. "I want you to remove that button, by the way." The Reaper noted with a nod. He pointed at the "Weapon" button I still had pinned to my dress. He held out his oversized right hand.

I unfastened the button and placed it in his hand. He withdrew his hand and it disappeared inside of his cloak. I muttered over the tiny holes the button had left in the fine black fabric.

He gave a slight bounce in place and regained my attention. "This isn't the right button for you, you know. You are a Meister _before_ you are a Weapon. Your control comes from the knowledge of the Weapon skills you possess. That _control_ is more important that the techniques you can use to injure an opponent. You posses the Weapon, it does not posses you. As an Independent Weapon, you can't forget how important that control really is."

I hung my head slightly; feeling like it was a lecture I had heard before. And I still wondered how true it was.

The Reaper looked at me thoughtfully. "You are most certainly his protégé, aren't you?"

A vision of a blond haired, blue eyed man flashed in my mind, and I tried to avoid his gaze. "Let's not talk about Justin, okay? It's been more than a year since I've seen him."

His eyes seemed to smile. "Not a problem." He paused, and I had nothing to say to fill in the gap of silence.

"Head over to Professor Stein's lecture now. He's been asking about you, and you're late already."

I sighed. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

The Reaper patted me on the head with a giant white-gloved hand, and then withdrew it. "Don't worry about Kid. Only his pride was _really_ hurt this morning."

I wasn't sure I believed Shinigami-sama, but I didn't bother to ask anymore about it. I decided I should go on what I saw with my own eyes, even if it was wrong. I gave him a nod, and turned and walked from the platform.

***

The lecture room was significantly warmer than Shinigami-sama's office, but still cold. I would have to start bring a sweater to class like Maka.

I could hear the murmurs and giggles the moment I entered the room. I tried to block out the voices, but some of their words rung in my ears – all of them embarrassing.

I walked up to the desk, waiting for Stein to look up from his paperwork. I knocked on the wooden desk when I didn't automatically gain his attention.

He looked up and adjusted his round glasses on his damaged face, and smiled. "Ah, it's about time. You're quite late for your first day!"

"I…" was all I was able to get out of my mouth as an explanation for my late arrival.

Stein rose from his desk, straightened the collar of his lab coat and rounded me, wandering to the middle of the lecture floor. "Can I have a volunteer from the audience? Anyone willing to let Ms Summers _experiment_ on them?" Stein shouted, trying to gather an audience of his distracted students. He seemed to relish the idea of experimentation.

Mummers floated through the audience. No one was quick to volunteer. Word of the morning's incident had obviously reached most of the student body. It left a sour feeling in my gut.

An 'I'll do it!' came from the audience suddenly. Soul was on his feet with his left hand in the air.

"That's fine, come down to the floor." Stein announced. He stepped back to his desk, half-sitting on the corner nearest to me.

Soul climbed over the back of his bench, strolled down the steps, and joined us on the lecture room floor.

I sauntered over to him, less than enthusiastic about his willingness to help. I talked quietly over his left shoulder. "You should have left Stein pick someone from the audience. This might reflect badly on you."

Soul shook his head in confidence. "As a Weapon it won't reflect badly on me. I'm really no more than human in this form.

I scowled. "That's the part that worries _me_. I'll have to take it easy on you."

"It's alright, I'm just thinking of it as one of the games we used to play."

"We played that _outdoors_, Soul. I'm going to end up hurting you if we do this inside."

Stein coughed politely into his left fist. "Can we continue please?"

Soul flashed a cocky smile. "Don't worry about it. At least I know what's coming."

"Hmph." I grinned at him. "It's your funeral, cousin."

Soul stood his ground and nodded. "Try tossing me to the back of the room, it'll hurt less."

"Alright." I stepped a dozen feet away from him, and we turned to face each other.

I stretched out my right arm and a four-foot long bronze-colored staff began to form in my hand with a shimmer. I could extra care and time to produce what I planned to use a weapon this time – the only point of the exercise was to show off some of my abilities. As it reached my desired length, the bottom end grew sharp – to a point. At its head the staff shimmered and produced a five inch ring, after which five smaller golden rings hung from.

Stein's voice carried over the noise in my ears. "A version of the _shakujo_. The staff of Buddhist monks who fight only when necessary and a supposed weapon of peace…"

I shook the staff in my hand, and it finished solidifying.

Stein continued. "Here used in a delayed front-line attack."

I charged at Soul and swung at his chest. He put up his arm in reaction. I flipped around behind his back and brought the staff down on his shoulder. He didn't flinch. I spun clockwise in place, and brought it down on his other shoulder. I crouched down slightly, trying to assume what was coming. Soul turned clockwise this time, instinctively trying to punch me with his left fist. I smacked his fist with the staff, letting them collide. He pulled his fist back to punch a second time, and I jammed the staff into his gut. It had little injurious effect.

I looked up at him. "That's five." I whispered.

He gave a quick nod, and started to pull back. I crouched down and pushed myself off of he floor, allowing me to jump back. I stuck out my right arm and the _shakujo_, forcing it to grow to six feet. I spun it five times in my hand and clutched it hard again.

The thought that I needed to worry about aiming raddled about in my brain.

I was backwards from the position I wanted to be in, with the rows of lecture seats to my right, and the front of the room at my left. I had no choice but to toss him like a lure. I flipped the top half of the staff into my left hand, and pulled it half-way behind my back. It limited my ability to see where I would toss him, so I hoped I could shoot him far enough to pass him over the students in that corner. I ripped the staff back forward, pointing it in the direction Soul was standing – or had been standing. He was lifted off his feet and was tossed like he had been attached to an oversized fishing rod, and crashed in the back row of lecture seats with a thunderous noise.

I looked up at the students. Several of the students screamed, and there was a moment of panic in the room. Only a few sat quietly and even fewer continued to watch me.

Kid was one of those few; his gold eyes were obvious to me.

"Settle down! Settle down!" Stein shouted, trying to rein in the confusion. "Is he okay?"

Soul climbed out from under the row of confused students and stood at the back of the room. "I'm good!" He announced, and pounded his chest twice with his right fist.

The talk of the class ranged from "show off" to "monster" and started to filter down to me now that people were aware no one was hurt.

I figured I had made more enemies than friends, and it was only day one.

Stein gave up trying to control the lecture. "Alright, class dismissed!" He yelled over the chorus of voices.

Suddenly I was inundated by more than a dozen people, all chattering at one. The questions varied from "what was my Weapon?" to "was I looking for a partner?" to "where was I staying in Death City?"

"Can't you make two staffs at once?" I heard from directly behind me, picking out a voice I recognized from the crowd.

I turned and found Kid, Soul, and Maka behind me. Liz and Patty loitered behind Kid. Maka rocked on her heels and watched the floor. Soul was trying to get rid of our lecture mates and their questions, with little affect.

I blinked and looked up at him. I realized then he was almost a foot taller than me. "Yeah, but Soul's not that large, so it wasn't necessary. Why would I overextend myself _and_ try to hurt my cousin in the process?"

"It just seems like one in each hand would be more appropriate." He stated, and it seemed to be with simplicity in mind.

Maka eyed Kid wearily, and then looked back at me with soft eyes. "Here it comes."

Kid ignored her comment, lost in his own thoughts. "And _five_ rings? Couldn't you do six? That's a nice even number." He paused and thought for a moment, putting his right hand to his chin. "Maybe even _eight_ for some _extra_ symmetry." His mind appeared to be far from the lecture hall at the moment.

Soul tuned into the conversation at hand, and made the sound of someone choking on a laugh. "I was waiting for this."

I stared at Kid in confusion. "I don't get it. Do you have gripe with my abilities?"

Maka moved to my left, with her arms behind her back. I turned to her. "Kid…has some _issues_ with…things being _organized_." She emphasized her words to get her point across.

His attention returned, and he injected drama into his explanation with hand gesticulations. "No! Not_ organized! _Just…I think symmetry is important. Things should be even on both sides in this instance. _Perfection_ is important in this instance."

Liz rolled her dark blue eyes. "More like all instances." She muttered, and crossed her thin, tanned arms across her chest.

A moment of silence passed between us.

I blinked and looked at Kid intently. I had a sudden, simple answer to the issue. "You're neurotic about this symmetry thing, aren't you?" I stated flatly.

Kid's embarrassment showed in his face. "It's not intentional…" He explained quietly. The words seemed caught in his throat, and his gaze shifted to the side.

"Ohh… I get it, you're _obsessive-compulsive_." I stated, simply calling back my school days and education.

When I realized how rude I had made it sound, it was too late to take it back. I opened my mouth to say anything that might make me seem less like a shrew, but I didn't have a chance.

Kid simply stared at me, his gaze unfocused.

Soul stepped to my right, put his left around my shoulders, and sighed. "Come on. I think you've given Kid enough emotional muck to wallow in for the moment." Soul pulled me away and started to usher me out of the lecture hall. Maka tagged along silently behind us.

I looked back over my shoulder, but Kid hadn't moved. He had his hands stuffed into his pants pockets and he stared at the floor. His gaze still seemed far off, and he wasn't even conscious of the little blond Patty pulling on his right arm.

I looked at Soul as we exited the room. "That came out wrong; I should go back and apologize."

He held the door for me and shook his head. "Oh, no, it's not what you said…it's the fact that you're right that _really_ bothers him."

I tried to take a step back. "But…"

Soul pulled my arm, taking a firm stance for once. "You'll get your chance, don't worry. We need to get you settled in the apartment first."


	8. Chapter 7 Stand in Your Sun

_Chapter 7 – Stand in Your Sun_

**Sai Summers**

"Oh no you don't, I'm _not_ going to let you control me like that." I retorted, pulling my left arm free of Soul's grasp.

We were still standing in the middle of the hallway outside of the Crescent Moon lecture hall, and several students pushed around us trying to get into the next lecture, or out of the one we had come from. Some politely asked us to move; some just shoved other students out of the way to get by us.

Soul dropped his shoulders and watched the floor. "Maybe someone should be." He muttered, and I picked up a touch of anger in his voice.

I felt my eyebrows rise and I stared him down. "Excuse me? What's with the sudden attitude? You were fine like ten minutes ago." I gesticulated to emphasize my annoyance.

He crossed his arms across his chest, and his ruby eyes narrowed. "My attitude is stemming from the fact that you have to spend a lot of time apologizing. Maybe if you watched what you were saying to begin with…"

I was in no mood for his argument. "We all can't be experts at hiding what we're feeling, Soul." I interrupted.

He raised his voice slightly. "And _you_ should consider what you say to my friends."

That was it, they were _his_ friends. And _his_ friends were being hurt or inconvenienced by _me_. They had been all day, from the moment I had arrived. _I_ was the problem he had.

I was silent for a moment. I shuddered, and was freezing cold again. "I get it now. They're _your_ friends." I told him quietly, with a nod. "I should have just kept my mouth shut today."

Soul's gaze softened. "Sai…"

I stared down at the floor, crossing my arms across my chest. "No, forget it. I get your point. And I'm sorry if I upset you or Kid, or _anybody_ else today." I created a waving motion with my right hand, and tuned away from him. "I will meet you at the apartment later. I'm not ready to go home yet."

In a mere minute, it felt like the gains of the day had been a wash.

I wandered down the lecture hall's hallway, wondering what I was going to do with myself the next several hours now that I had made it clear I didn't feel like going home. I wandered down to the hallway with the assignment board, and found Kid leaning against the opposing wall with his arms across his chest. He seemed more relaxed than the least time I'd seen him, but not free from agitation.

I wasn't sure I was ready to handle an apology so soon, but I was sure he had already seen me. His gaze seemed to be at the opposing wall, but was unfocused. "I don't remember the last time I saw Soul so agitated." He commented quietly.

I sighed and wandered up to him. I leaned my right shoulder against the wall, then turned and faced the opposing wall myself. "Angering my cousin is apparently one of my _many_ social talents." I paused. "Or social _faux pas_."

He gave a light snort. "Heh. Well, no one would accuse you of hiding your feelings, at least."

I looked over at him, eyeing him wearily. "I take it you heard our little dispute."

"Yes, I was trying to get out of the room, and you two were blocking the doorway."

Embarrassment set in. "Eh. Sorry about that." I paused. "And I'm sorry about what I said before, it was out of line." I could feel a chill coming on, and I rubbed my arms, trying to heat them with friction.

He inhaled and exhaled noisily. "I wasn't upset; just stunned. I don't remember the last time someone was so candid with my faults. Including myself."

I bit my lip. "Don't worry; I admit _my_ faults enough for three people."

He chortled, and the serious face he wore broke. "You're so much more honest than the rest of them. It's quite a change of pace."

I stared at him, feigning incredulity. "Oh my, he might actually have a real sense of humor, folks."

Kid sniffed in humor. "There's an old saying that states if you can't laugh about life, it'll make you cry."

I thought back, and played the joke calmly. "Well, I was about to cry at the idea that my soul had pigtails. Pitiful image, I must say." I pulled out the hair ties holding my own hair back and used other to pull all of my hair back into a single ponytail.

He finally laughed openly and turned to me. "Alright, you've gotten me to laugh. Do you feel like you've accomplished something today?" Even his golden eyes seemed to smile.

"Accomplished something? _Of course!_" I spread open my hands, palms up. "I got to throw Soul into group of unsuspecting students; of course I accomplished something today!" I announced with false pride.  
Kid gave a bass-level laugh, and gave a slight bow. "You win. I concede defeat on trying to keep a straight face though this conversation."

"Whoo, I win!" I exclaimed. "Something else accomplished on a day I managed to miss most of my lectures and spend time in the infirmary."

A moment passed and I shivered again. I held my arms.

"For goodness sake, here." Kid's movements were sharp and deliberate, showing off his dexterity. He stood up from the wall and brushed his coat down with his hands. He quickly moved his thin hands over the two square white buttons holding his suit coat shut and unfastened them. He pulled the coat off with a single swift movement and held it out to me with his left arm. "I know you've been cold."

My mind wanted me to stand there and look confused and perhaps surprised, but the rest of me was simply too cold. I took the coat and pull it on, letting it hang open. It was a little too big around the chest, and the sleeves were a tad too long, but it fit well enough. It hung to the edge of my ruffles. I rubbed my hands over the sleeves and noticed the coat was made of a material resembling high-grade wool. Or at least it was some material I could not afford on my own. It also had a faint smell of musk.

Kid had had a starched white shirt under the coat and a white tie, and it played in high-contrast with his dark hair. On most people it would have been _too_ stark of a contrast, but I couldn't see him wearing anything other than black and white. The colors were just too fitting for him.

He folded his arms across his chest. Then put his right hand to his chin and looking over the coat in consideration. A second passed; he took down his hand and waved it in the air. "Button it up; otherwise the buttons are only on one side."

I realized the coat wasn't symmetrical hanging open, but instead of making a fuss, I simply obliged him and fastened the buttons shut.

He seemed pleased at my lack of rebuttal, and smiled. "See how perfectly that coat fits into my frame of mind when it's buttoned?"

I bit my tongue. His frame of mind was going to take some getting used to.

Voices came from down the hall from the direction I had come from. I half-turned – looking over my left shoulder - when I realized on of them was Soul, likely looking for me. I didn't have time to react beyond that, as Kid grasped my right wrist firmly with his left hand, and starting dragging me farther down the hallway.

"Hey, what are you doing…?" I started.

He shushed me with a noise through his teeth. Kid pushed against a wooden door, giving the doorknob a quick clockwise turn with his right hand. He pushed it open with his right shoulder. Kid pulled me inside and quickly, yet quietly, shut the door behind us. It was difficult to see, but I caught him making a motion of silence by putting his right index finger to his lips for a moment. Still holding onto my wrist, he put his left ear to the door, listening until he seemed satisfied that no one had followed us in the hallway. He gave a quick nod.

As my eyes began to adjust I realized the door lead not into a closed room, but led off into a stone-lined hallway. There was a significantly bright light at the other end, and I could feel the heat from the sun radiating even from where we stood.

"Hey, can you let go now?" I wiggled my wrist against his iron grasp.

"Ah, sorry." He released my arm and put both of his hands in his pants pockets.

I couldn't help but rub my right wrist with my left hand.

Kid took a few steps away from me. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

I followed him down the corridor, which opened into a round balcony some twenty feet wide. The paving stones were a simple grey, and it was rimmed with a dark red brick. It felt intensely warm outside. Warmer than anywhere else I had been inside of Shibusen. It also provided a view of much of the city, and it seemed secluded from much of the campus.

Kid walked to the edge, and inhaled deeply. He exhaled with noise, as if trying to expel the cold he felt in his own chest. "The sun shines here most of the day, so it's always quite warm here. It's a nice change of pace from the cold building. This is a restricted area though, so most people don't know about it."

I walked to the edge of the balcony and stood up on the ledge next to Kid. Despite standing on an elevation, I was not that much taller than him.

The sun was not as intense as it would be outside of Death City, but it was close enough. _This_ Nevada sun still warmed me from the inside out. The wind kicked up and I pulled the hair ties down once again, letting my fair hair spin around my face.

I shut my eyes and I could feel the sun on my face, and it reminded me of why I came. I needed to shed the cold wind I had been carrying inside for so long.


	9. Chapter 8 Lovely Trickster

_Chapter 8 – Lovely Trickster_

**Death the Kid**

Standing on the balcony with her, something began to bother me. I wasn't sure I wanted the answer, but I felt the need to ask. Her frankness might have been rubbing off on me already.

I looked to my right. "Why do you look so much like Soul if you're _second_ cousins? You have different parents so how can you both have red eyes and white hair?" I probed.

Sai didn't look at me but I caught a slight hint of a smile on her lips. "You're perceptive. I don't know how many people would have put that together."

"Hmm. I wasn't thinking that hard about it, really." I lied. It even sounded like a lie to me. I shifted my weight, let me hands rest in my pockets, and looked over the city.

She cocked her hard to the right, put her left arm across her abdomen, and looked up to the sky. "The ability to change into a Weapon form in our family picks certain people – it's like a genetic trait, but spread over a massive amount of our genetic code. And no matter who it selects has red eyes and white hair. Visually it's like an albino trait, but it runs deeper than that. It's more dominant in our genes." She paused and crossed her arms across her chest. "So technically Soul is closer to being my brother than my second cousin."

I thought on that for a moment and eyed her, but her gaze did not meet mine. I couldn't be sure if she was even seeing me at that moment. "But unlike Soul you don't need a Meister to be functional."

The light breeze blew her hair. "I can function without one, but I am only at my full potential with one."

"Don't complain, you got the best of both sides in the deal." I heard from behind us.

Soul stood behind us with his hands in his pockets, looked more subdued than the last time I saw him. He no longer seemed angry. Being around her was apparently placating for people; for I included.

Sai half-turned on the step, with her arms still crossed. "Hey Soul. You look a little less irritated."

He ran his right hand through his white hair. "Yeah. I didn't mean to push it back there."

She snorted and smirked. "If I wasn't me, you wouldn't like me, right?"

"Heh. Probably not. Because then you'd be like me." He lightly smacked himself in the chest with his right palm and grinned.

It was then that I realized something else was bothering me. "Eh, Soul, how did you find this place?"

Spirit stepped out of the end of the hallway, on cue. I felt my face my fall, but Sai picked up the cue. She stepped down from the ledge and walked half-way across the balcony, swinging her arms. "You!" She stopped and scowled at him. "Are you trying to fold 'annoying Sai' into your new lesson plans?"

I was surprised at her gall in her talking to him like that, but he seemed to take it in stride and smiled stupidly. "Now that you've said that I _will_ have to make a go at that."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever."

But Spirit seemed excited about something and bypassed her attitutde. "So, I heard you talking…"

Sai and Soul both eyed him in irritation.

I tried to steer the conversation towards something safe. "We were discussing the needing of a Meister by a Weapon."

And I abruptly failed on that account as Spirit seemed to have advance knowledge of the subject at hand. "Ooh, show Kid one of your _tricks!"_

That seemed to rub her the wrong way. "Don't call our abilities 'tricks'. That's rude." She told him curtly, trying to snub him.

I tried again to direct the conversation. "What does needing a Meister have to do with this 'ability'?"

"Eh…" She raised an eyebrow; explaining the subject in words must have been more complicated than she expected. "Soul?" She looked at him in mild confusion.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. You can't do much more to injure me than you've already done." He strolled across the balcony and they stood no more than two feet apart. She held out her right hand and Soul grabbed it with his right.

"Meister Release." I heard her say quietly, and I watched her soul warp in space. The colors shifted and it grew bluer, overpowering the magenta. Soul's physical form then shifted with a spark, warping him into his scythe form. It wasn't quite the same form I was used to. From the top, a foot wide silver ring hung. It clinked with Sai's first movement, which was to swing Soul wide behind her. The eye of scythe was also blue and not red as I had usually seen him, but there was no question is was Soul.

Sai had no problems shifting him in space; someone looking at her wouldn't have known she wasn't his regular Meister partner. She even had grace in her movement. The bright colors of the scythe's blade were a striking contract to her black ensemble and white hair, and I thought she would have frightened many an enemy. Her movements were light as she brought him head-down, with blade down and turned out, to a seat next to her.

Spirit gave a light clap. "Impressive. The ability to give up one's Weapon ability to use another Weapon. Very useful trick."

She scowled at the work _trick_ again.

"Hey!" Soul's voice emanated in the air and the scythe wiggled on its own. "We done?"

"Ooh, sorry." Sai let go of Soul's staff and he rematerialized next to her.

He gave me a nod and Soul ran his hand through his hair again.

I watched a grin spread across Spirit's face. "Show Kid the other one."

Sai made a perturbed face in response. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Spirit rocked his head back and forth. "Well, ya know…"

Something seemed to spark in Sai's face and she inhaled with noise. "You're grading me on this, aren't you! That's why you showed Soul how to get here."

He grinned and showed his teeth. "Soul missed lecture as well, so he did have to do the assignment. So he got a grade on this little exercise and passed. I also need your contribution for the assignment. You seem to have forgotten my lectures deal with _Weapon shape-shifting _practices."

Sai's face fell. "Darn you, Death Scythe." I heard her mutter. "But I don't have a standard physical form." Then she smirked. "How do you know if I'm doing it right then?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

Spirit shrugged and smiled. "I don't. That just makes it more interesting to watch."

She rolled her eyes.

I wanted to laugh quietly, but I thought it too early for that.

Sai sauntered over to me, and looked at me with her big ruby eyes. "Will you do me a favor?" She bit her lip.

I could feel the curious look on my face. "S-sure. What do I have to do?"

She held out her right hand and smiled. "Give me your hand."

I heard my heart thump in my chest as I obliged her. I found her hand warm and soft in mine. She gave me a nod. "And you've got to trust me, okay?"

It wasn't really a question so much as a statement. It was too late to object. I just stared, too preoccupied with my heart thundering in my ears. I saw her soul spin it's blue away and it glowed a brilliant magenta this time. I heard her whisper "Weapon Release."

And then she was gone from in front of me. Not like she was gone, but like she had never been there at all. The place she had been standing felt empty.

I looked up at Soul and then Spirit. Neither seemed confused by her sudden disappearance. Unlike me.

"Kid!" I heard her call.

I looked to my left and right, trying to grasp the situation.

"Kid!"

I could hear her, but not see her. Where was I supposed to be looking?

Sai groaned. "Ugh…stop moving, would you? You're messing with my sight." She sounded perhaps nauseous.

I brought myself to a stop and held still for a moment. I couldn't hear her voice.

"You're inside my head, aren't you?" I questioned, grasping at concepts I had never experienced myself.

"Um…_technically_, I'm sitting inside your soul, but since you can't see your own soul, so you can't see me."

I realized I must look like an imbecile talking to myself then. But there were suddenly questions I needed answers to. This was something I had never even read about, and the interaction was somewhat elating. I could still hear my heart pounding; this time in my chest.

"Sounds logical. So if someone else could see my soul right now, could they see you?" I asked skeptically. I wasn't sure anything was logical about this exercise.

"Hmm. I believe so. I was once told that someone who can see souls would see me as specter of sorts in your soul's range of affect. I have no confirmation of that though."

"So how is my moving changing your vision?"

"I'm borrowing your eyes to see."

I chewed on the thought. "Hmm."

Her voice was ethereal in my ears. "To see outside of your soul I borrow your vision. If you move, I see movement as well. But there's a bit a lag, so my vision takes longer to focus. You move fast; my vision turns blurry. It becomes nauseating after a period of time."

I pursed my lips and crossed my arms across my chest. "Hmm."

"And I can also only see what you see. Nothing else. No special visual tricks or anything."

I paused. "And if I you don't use my eyes?"

"I can only see you and your movements; and the inside of your soul, which is essentially just darkness. There's no frame of reference. But if I can't see, what good am I as a Weapon?"

I was feeling somewhat elated. This was something so new. "That's very interesting. Could you borrow the rest of my existence?"

There was silence. "I don't know." She finally said, but I wasn't sure I believed her.

My curiosity was getting the better of me. "And can you hear my thoughts like this?"

"No." There was then several moments of silence.

She didn't seem interested in giving me more details, so I decided not to push the issue.

"You know, I didn't think you'd be so interested in the mechanics of this. It's not much different than what Regular Weapons do." She continued.

"But you don't exist as a Weapon right now. Someone like Soul makes an actual object out of himself."

Her voice hummed. "Hmm. I can try to explain, but I'm not sure if it makes complete sense. There's so little work that's been done in detailing what actually happens so I can only give you my ideas – wrong or otherwise."

I shrugged.

"I can make an object of myself as well, but it requires an extra step. That's because my actual Weapon ability is different as an Independent Weapon. Earlier I created the Weapon in my human form by warping my own soul in space and time. The staff I created wasn't a real object, you might say. My weapon _is_ my soul. And as a result only I or someone my soul is entrenched with can use it. You know as a Meister that I can't just hand you my soul to use as an independent object – at least not while I'm alive. It exists only to you right now because I am within the confines of your soul and I am willing it's abilities to you. And If I wasn't inside of your soul I might stop existing while I'm at my full potential. Or maybe I would be stuck as a weapon permanently. Your soul is my protection from those things."

Her final comment stuck me as emotionally engaging, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her. If she was picking up on my emotions, she didn't let on.

She paused. "Also, what you saw last time was a scaled down version. Nothing more than a mere percentage of myself. I can't achieve full potential without using up almost all of my soul. So that gives us two problems: I can't be physical enough to use my own weapon because so much of my soul is in use, and I have to be connected to someone in order to be functional. So I have to have a willing victim…err, _partner_."

The word 'victim' rung in my ears. "How does it exist to me right now?"

I heard her laugh ring in my ears. "Put out your right arm."

I did as she asked, not exactly sure what was coming.

She continued. "Your father refers to me as a Meister, and not a Weapon. But like I said, my full potential is reached only when in conjunction with _another_ Meister. Essentially, it's because I have to give up being physical to do it. I can warp my entire existence into a weapon like Soul, but then I need an intermediary to keep me from blinking out of existence because that weapon isn't something I can pick up off of the ground and hand to you."

I could feel my hand start to warm.

"The greatest sacrifice a Regular Weapon makes while in weapon form is giving up some level of physical control to the Meister. An Independent Weapon loses control over both their body and the their soul during this time period. I will over my soul's powers, and I am trapped within your existence. It is the complete antithesis of independence."

Something was heavy in my hand, but nothing seemed to exist there.

Her voiced sounded like wind chimes. "But the results can be worth it."

There was a sudden spark, and my hand was weighted down by a full size version of Sai's _shakujo_. No regular human could have held it with its length and its top-heavy qualities.

"You're obviously aware of the other problem by this point. At nearly eleven feet in length and a head of almost four feet wide, I'm somewhat unwieldy for your average-sized Meister. And this is without a Resonance size increase."

My brow furrored. "Unwieldy might be an understatement."

"Like all Weapons though, the better the attunement, the easier the use." She paused, and the staff jingled on its own. "But I did manage to give you your eight rings this time." Each brass-colored ring was nearly a foot in diameter.

My mind was wandering despite my interest in the subject at hand. I was wishing there were two five-foot staves instead of one ten-foot one. One for each hand. And maybe eight rings on _each_…

"I am picking up your agitation, by the way. I'd appreciate it if you could cease and desist with those thoughts."

I could feel the agitation physically, causing me to shake in my place. The _shakujo_'s rings jiggled. "I am making a conscious effort to not think about it."

"And you're failing. Put me down on the ground, thanks."

I obliged her without complaint.

There was a magenta flash, and Sai was standing where the staff had been. She gave me a slight bow. "Thank you for your support."

I opened my mouth to tell her something…_anything,_ but I didn't get a chance to respond.

Spirit gave a light clap and walked in our direction. "I am happy to see you have such a good grasp on the core concepts. You get a full pass on the exercise."

Sait turned to him and gave a nod.

Spirit waved it off. "Now get out of here, this is a restricted area. Staff only."

She bit her lip and walked towards the entrance way. Soul met her and put his left arm around her shoulders. I knew she was in no position to argue with a teacher – even if it was Spirit – so I couldn't voice a legitimate complaint about her leaving.

"Oh!" She suddenly turned about and looked at me, surprised. "I still have your suit coat on." She started to try and unbutton it.

I waved it off. "I'll get it back from you later. Don't worry about it."

She gave me a nod, and I watched Soul lead her out.

I stood there for a few moments, trying to grasp the last several minutes. It was a lot of information to index in my head.

I then caught a movement in my peripheral vision. Spirit had come within a foot of me and stared at me intently. And I hadn't even noticed his movement or his proximity.

He bent down slightly, bringing his head level with mine. He gave me a crooked grin. "Don't worry, I promise I won't tell her."

I felt my face fall and my eyes turn wide.

He giggled. "You try _real_ hard though, I must admit. I wasn't sure until almost the very end."

I wanted to rattle off profanities at him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Spirit patted me on the left shoulder with a light smack, and backed away. He wandered back to the hallway.

"Get to class, you have another lecture today." I heard him call back. "And your tie is crooked."

I adjusted my white silk tie, but I had originally written off going to class for the day. If I had to go, I doubt I would pay much attention.

And then it occurred to me I had let Sai take my coat. People were going to notice that I wasn't wearing it. There would be questions. But if I didn't go to class, my father would find out I was skipping out on lecture.

"Damn." I muttered aloud, scratching my head with my right hand. "Now what do I do?"


	10. Chapter 9 Sunshine Street

_Chapter 9 – Sunshine Street_

**Sai Summers**

Soul and I strolled lazily through the streets of Death City, slowly winding our way back towards home. Or at least my temporary home. For financials sake I was staying with Maka and Soul right now…and their pet-cat-magical-roommate Blair.

The sun beat down on the streets, but I was still feeling a tad chilly. It was becoming a cold sensation that I just couldn't shake.

He had his arms folded behind his head, and he appeared to pay only half-attention to the direction he walked in. It wasn't a particular problem however, as the streets were mostly empty at this time of day.

I was waiting for Soul to bring up the issue of the suit coat since we left Shibusen, and he had yet to do so. Though he did eye me with a strange look every so often. A look of almost irritancy or mild disgust. I tried to play them off as I was wrapped up in my own thoughts about the town.

Soul came to a stop on the sidewalk beneath the fourth-floor apartment and leaned against the outside wall. "So, do you miss it?"

I didn't plan to guess at what he meant. "Miss what?"

"Home." His vocal tone seemed innocent enough.

My eyes narrowed at the subject matter. "Where's home?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'where's home?'"

My brow furrowed. "I mean just that. If you're talking about Reykjavík (1), I don't consider anywhere in Iceland home."

Soul scratched the back of his head with his right hand. "That _was_ where I meant." He paused, looking like he was trying to avoid another _faux pas._ "But I guess I can see why you don't think of it as home."

My voice and attitude were bitter. I crossed my arms across my chest, wrinkling Kid's woolen coat. "I didn't end up there because I wanted to, Soul. You know that. My mother stuck me on a plane five years ago and shipped me off to Reykjavík to get rid of me. Told me she couldn't handle my 'magic tricks' anymore and wanted me somewhere I wouldn't hurt people. Why she thought the people in Iceland wouldn't get hurt is beyond me." I rolled my eyes.

Soul eyed me with a touch of pity. "I don't mean to sound crude, but we both know your mom is a few cards short of a full deck. She probably _wasn't_ thinking."

I simply sighed. "Let's not discuss this right now. I'd rather not be angry when we go upstairs. Maka will harass me for answers as to why."

Soul rocked on his heels. "And she'll blame me for it."

"You _are_ to blame this time."

His voice was low. "It was an innocent question, really."

My vision wandered down the street. "I'm not sure there's an innocent question regarding my personal life, Soul."

He stretched his arms. "You only say that because of Justin."

I right-hook-punched Soul in the right shoulder. "Don't bring him up nonchalantly."

He rubbed it with his left hand. "Sorry. That was stupid of me."

I sighed. "What made you bring him up, anyway? You know that riles me."

Soul leaned forward and gave a tug on the lapel of the jacket I wore. "It reminded me."

I paused a moment in thought. "I guess it would. He used to wear a black suit jacket a lot before..." It took me a minute to compile my thoughts. "…before he joined the church in Iceland."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not projecting Justin onto Kid, are you?"

There was a growl in my throat. "Watch it, or I'll punch you far harder than before."

Soul gave me a crooked smile and put his hands up in front of his chest. "Just kidding."

I was pretty sure he wasn't joking; I could understand his concern though. And I couldn't help but wonder in the back of my mind if he was right. That was a dangerous thought. Being around Justin in Iceland had damaged part of my psyche, and I couldn't sustain a blow like that again.

I surveyed the surrounding streets. "Don't worry; I'm pretty sure it won't be that bad again, regardless of what happens here. People seem much more understanding here."

He stuck his hands in his pants' pockets and gave a toothy grin. "That's because the reason this place exists is because of people like us. Little town of freaks…or something." Soul's voice trailed off.

I chortled. "Nice."

I waited several moments in silence, still enjoying the sun, and then started up the stairwell towards the apartment.

Soul followed me, rubbing his right shoulder again, and feigning injury. "That's gonna leave a mark." He teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Ya know sometimes, I really wish it would."

***

I sat at the simple wooden table in the kitchen looking over the _History of Weapon Shape-Shifters_ textbook I had yet to bother opening this semester.

A female black cat in a small black pointed hat jumped onto the table to my right, and puttered about the table. I picked her up by the scruff of her neck and dropped her on the floor beside the table.

"Try to keep the feline form off the table, Blair. I'd prefer to not have your cat hair in my food." I gave her a light push in the rear with my right slippered foot.

There was a puff of smoke, and Blair appeared in her human form – wearing nothing.

I turned away in mild disgust. "Geez Blair, why are you like this?"

A spatula came flying from the kitchen behind me. "Put some clothes on Blair!" I heard Maka yelling amongst the noises of pots and water.

Blair ducked out of the way and ran off to her bedroom giggling. I had already seen more of Blair than I wanted. At least it didn't look like I would have to share my room with her. Soul and I were planning to clean out the den this evening so I could have my own room.

I sighed and hung my head, then looked over my right shoulder. "Why do you let her stay here, again?"

Soul leaned against the wall near the front door. He no longer seemed phased by Blair's blatant nudity. "Because we blew up her house."

I rolled me eyes. "It was just a pumpkin. They grow everywhere on the outskirts of town."

He waved his hand at the thought. "Apparently it's hard to find giant pumpkins. And don't think we didn't try."

I simply shook my head. It was an absurd conversation already, and I decided to go back to looking over my textbook instead of continuing it.

At that point there was a light knock at the door.

Soul opened the door, and his voice reflected surprise with a touch of impoliteness. "What are you doing on this side of town?"

"Incurring my father's wrath, most likely." I heard come from the doorway.

I found myself happy to hear that voice, even though it seemed like a harmful idea to do so.

Soul stepped out of the way, and let Kid in the apartment. He then closed the door behind me. Soul looked displeased at our guest, and I may have caught a slight scowl on his face. I wondered if the discourtesy came from Soul having to deal with enough nonsense between Kid and myself already today.

"Here." Kid handed me a bundle of black cloth.

I eyed it and started to unfold it. "What's this?"

"That one will probably be a better fit for you."

I unfolded the cloth. It was a black suit jacket, but appeared smaller than the one he had let me borrow. It also had five buttons that were round, and seemed to be of a thicker material. I felt the cloth between my fingers.

Kid nodded. "It's also heavier wool so it'll be warmer."

I held it up in front of me, and then brought it down shaking my head. "I can't accept this Kid, this is too expensive."

He half-smiled. "I can't wear this one; it's too small." He paused. "Please. I hate to see it go to waste in my closet."

I held it out to him, and rose from the table. "Hold this a minute." I unfastened the coat he had lent me, pulled it off and held that one out to him. We exchanged jackets, and I pulled the one he brought me on. The buttons were easier to fasten and was cut thinner in the waist. It was a much better fit; I couldn't argue with him on that point. And he seemed far more comfortable with himself when he pulled the coat that he had lent me back on.

Kid pulled at his lapel, and straightened and smoothed his silk tie.

I turned and held out my arms. "What do you think Soul?"

Soul rolled his eyes and walked from the kitchen in silence.

Kid blinked and looked at me. "Did I come at a bad time?"

I shook my head. "I don't think it's you. He's probably irritated at me. And he's had a long day."

Maka wandered from the kitchen, rubbing a wet cooking spoon with a wore a long white apron over her skirt and sweater that was damp in a number of places. "Hey Kid. You want to join us for dinner this evening?"

He made a face, chewing on the idea. "I should go find Patty and Liz at the moment."

Maka seemed to like the idea of having company. Maybe it meant not eating in silence with Soul and I at the kitchen table. "They can come by as well."

Kid seemed in doubt still.

I turned to Maka, trying to avoid making Kid feel odd about the sudden invite. "Can we invite Tsubaki as well? I'd like to speak with her on something."

Maka patted me on the head. "As long as you and Black Star don't destroy the apartment, sure."

I smiled, injecting a touch of childlike enjoyment into my voice. "Okay. We'll be good."

Kid gave a slight nod. "Five o'clock then, Maka?"

It was almost two p.m.

She finished drying the spoon and returned to the kitchen. "Whenever you get back is fine. I'll call Tsubaki in a few minutes." I heard her call back. "We can eat early if you guys want."

He gave me a slight smile. "I'll go and come back in a couple of hours. I doubt it'll take me too long to find them, but I have to return to Shibusen first." He then walked to the door abruptly and showed himself out.

I blinked. His sudden desire to leave perplexed me. "What was with that? In a hurry to _leave_ or something are we…" I muttered, returning to my seat at the table.

The spoon Maka had been drying came flying out of the kitchen like the spatula had, except it smacked me in the left side of the head.

I rubbed my head in silence.

"Morons." I heard her grumble to herself in the kitchen. "Both of you."

(1) Wikipedia article on Reykjavik: .org/wiki/Reykjavik


	11. Chapter 10 Permission

_Chapter 10 – Permission_

**Death the Kid**

It had been my intention to go straight to my father's office, find Liz and Patty, and then return to Maka's apartment – in that order. I had even worked out the path I would take inside of Shibusen to curtail excessive time spent wandering the halls.

Obsessive? Probably.

Functional? Not quite.

My well-laid plans failed as soon as I arrived back at the school. Liz and Patty languished at the front door of Shibusen, and I was accosted the moment I returned.

Liz was obviously upset, standing with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? Why did you ditch us after class?"

I tried to side-step them and enter the school. "I had business to attend to this morning. It was a private matter."

Her agitation was visible. _"Excuse me?_ You ran off after Stein's lecture, and never even came to Sid's class. I had to tell Sid in front of the whole room that I didn't know where my partner was. You know how embarrassing that was?" She crossed her slender arms across her chest. It tightened her red sweater, which would have made many a man swoon for her – but I wasn't really considering it.

I tried to care about her embarrassment, I really did. But I was failing. I was too wrapped up in my own drama at the moment.

I sighed. "I apologize for what happened this morning. Embarrassing you was not my intention. I had something to take care of." I tried to step around her, but she shifted to her right and continued to block my path.

A moment of silence passed. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, trying to avoid making obvious fists in anger. "Would you mind stepping aside?" I finally asked.

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?"

I blinked. "I'm not sure if it's any of your business at this point." The statement was innocent truth, but I was sure it did not come off as such.

Patty giggled, and Liz's mouth hung open. "Wha…" Was the only comment she could manage.

"Looks like Liz is in shock, Kid!" Patty teased, rocking on her heels with her arms behind her back.

I attempted to step to my right, and Liz shifted to her left, scowling at me. "Where are you going, now?"

My brow furrowed. "I have to see my father; could you please step aside?"

I stepped twice to my left, rounding her.

Liz grabbed my right arm pulling me back to in front of her. "Oh no you don't, you're not running off without us again." She stated.

I fell back a half step and came to a stop. I tried to contain the irritation in my voice, but I still couldn't help but stare her down. "You are welcome to go with me and listen in, but you may not like what you hear."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

I gave a slight sigh. "I have to ask him about a personal matter."

"I'm your Weapon partner and I live in your house. What could you ask him that I wouldn't want to know about?" She stated firmly.

I decided this may be the only way to handle this situation. "Fine, you're welcome to join me." I told her with a shrug. "But I will tell you now that Maka is expecting us for dinner."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you mentioning dinner all of a sudden?"

I looked at her with innocence. "In case you choose to not go after this meeting with my father."

*******

The next ten minutes felt crucial to me.

"Ho ho, I'm glad you stopped by Kid. I think we need to have a talk." Shinigami-sama stated dryly.

I could feel myself rocking slightly on my heels, wanting this conference to be over as soon as possible. I stood in the center of my father's reflective platform stage, the obvious center of attention at this meeting. Liz, Patty and Spirit sat around the edges.

"I apologize for not stopping by sooner." I stated humbly.

My father bounced in place. "I heard you missed Sid's lecture this morning." He stated matter-of-factly.

I turned to my right and eyed Spirit for a moment. He made brief eye contact and then looked away in shame. I had already assumed it had not been his idea to alert my father to having seen me earlier in the day.

I bit my lip and hung my head. "Yes. I had something to take care of. It won't happen again."

"I assumed not." He smiled, and then cocked his head to the right. "Is this apology the only reason you stopped by?"

This was the part I wasn't looking forward to. I shifted my weight on my heels, and forced myself to stand still. "No, it's not."

I could feel the room's eyes on me.

"Well?" He asked, apparently curious at my uncomfortable stance.

I scratched the back of my head with my left hand in agitation. "I came to ask your permission on something."

My father looked at me peculiarly. "What is it?"

I kept thinking me must already know, and he was simply trying to make me say it. "I want to be involved with a student from Shibusen."

He blinked. "You're already involved with a number of students here."

Father _was_ trying to make me say it. "I'm asking your permission to be _romantically_ involved with someone from Shibusen." I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting for the denial.

I could hear Liz's boots stomping out of my father's office, followed by Patty's light giggles. The office was then silent for several moments.

My father simply laughed, breaking the silence. "That's it?"

I stared at him. "'That's it?'" I repeated.

"Hmm. Yes, is that what you came here to ask me?"

I felt a ping of shame. "Yes."

He was suddenly incredibly serious, his tone angry. He scowled at me. "Well, you can't have it."

My face fell and I stared at him incredulously. "But…"

Spirit choked on a laugh, and I watched him cover his face with his hands. He was racked with laughter.

I looked back at my father. His face was kind again, and he was lightly laughing. "You don't need my permission to be happy, Kid."

I felt instantly humiliated and felt my ears and cheeks warm. "I know there are a lot of complications with being who we are, so I wanted to make sure you wouldn't have any issues with me…being involved with someone who's not like us Shinigami."

He mask smiled. "I have no qualms with it. Despite everything else, you are still my son, and I want to see you happy."

Spirit stood up and walked to my side. He put his arm around my shoulders. "Didn't you say you wanted to be like everyone else?"

"Hmm." Was my only reply. I was still trying to process my father's comments.

Spirit removed his arm and fixed his tie. "I think you worry too much, myself. I mean, I know the only reason_ I_ would have issues would be if this person happened to be my Maka, right?" He stared at me intently.

He already knew the answer to his question, so I had no idea why he was playing at it. I didn't bother meeting his gaze "It's not."

Spirit smiled again. "Well, then, all good!" He smacked me on the back. "If you ever need advice…"

I cut him off, mildly annoyed. "I'll ask someone else." It was hard to forget Spirit's status as a recent divorcee.

My father looked at me in concern. "What about Liz? She didn't seem to take the news well."

I shifted my weight. "I warned her before we came here that she might not like what she heard. I'm not sure if this is what she was expecting though."

He bounced in place. "Do you plan to give them up as your partners?"

My answer was simple. "No."

"Then you may want to make that clear to her. She may be more apt to accept your relationship with Ms. Summers then."

This made it clear he had known the whole time and just wanted me to admit my intentions.

I gave him a slight nod. "I plan to do that this evening."

But I couldn't help but wonder if that was the whole issue with Liz. And how would she react with Sai in person?


	12. Chapter 11 Obsessive Shinigami

_Chapter 11 – Obsessive Shinigami_

**Death the Kid**

Liz wasn't planning to let me wait till the evening for an explanation. She met me at the door to my father's office with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed across her chest.

"It's the girl from earlier isn't it?" She stated flatly.

I averted her gaze. "Yes."

"So, is this it? You expect me to take this as your method of rejection?"

Patty shrunk down at Liz's left. "Sister…" She muttered; her arms hung in front of her in embarrassment.

She didn't allot for me time to explain.

Her tone was harsh. "Giving up on us, aren't you? Think she'd be a better Weapon for a Shinigami?"

I could feel a scowl on my face as I eyed her in irritation. "Instead of taking this time to jump to conclusions, it would have been better spent waiting for the meeting to finish."

She glowered. "What?"

I sighed. "I never said I was giving you two up as my partners. I made that clear to my father at the end, but you stomped out prior to that. Stomping noise and all..." I left my voice trail off.

Liz cocked her head to the left. "But then…"

My thoughts started to run away from me. "Sai doesn't need a partner." I muttered. "Probably wouldn't work anyway…"

I watched Liz's mind process my words for a moment. "That means…"

She then burst into abrupt laughter.

I gawked at her and blinked.

"Kid's in_ love! _I didn't even know that was _possible!"_ She wound her arms around her midsection and was racked with giggles.

"Love! Love!" Patty yelled, dancing in place.

I stuffed my fists in my pants' pockets, turning away from them. I could feel my ears and face warm. "Stop it." I muttered.

"But seriously, I'm right, aren't I?" Liz asked between laughs, pointing at me. "That's what all of this was about, right?"

I screwed my eyes shut and hung my head.

_"I am!_ That's so cute!" Liz cupped her face with her hands.

"Cute! Cute!" Added Patty swinging in place.

There was nothing but laughter for a long moment. I could feel a severe headache coming on already, and the night was young.

Liz seemed to calming down. "I can see why you'd like her, though. But why would she like _you?"_

My eyes snapped open. It was something I hadn't yet considered.

"I mean," She continued. "You have some serious _issues…"_ Liz waved her hand. "And I saw her – she's pretty. Not as pretty as _me,_ but I bet _a lot_ of guys will be after her at Shibusen. For _partners,_ you might say…" She smirked and gave a nod.

With those words I became locked in my own thoughts. I could feel my shoulders drop; I stared at the floor but saw nothing.

I had to wonder – _what if it was one-sided? _

_What if she didn't like me in return?_

_What if she was just being nice to me because she was nice to everyone?_

_What if she had just been nice to me because I was Soul's friend?_

_What if…what if she couldn't like me because I'm…_obsessive?

Then the worst thought of them all hit me. Suddenly being a Shinigami added nothing positive to the equation.

_I'm not even human…Shinigami _aren't_ human…_

I covered my face with my hands and groaned. There were too many questions for my mind to process all at once. I felt like an overloaded machine on the verge of a melt-down.

A moment passed and Liz was shaking my left shoulder. "Kid? Snap out of it. Hey!"

After a moment I let my hands drop.

Liz was looking at me with compassion. "Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. That was cruel of me."

"But you're right…" I whispered.

She ignored my comment. "Besides, she already knows your biggest flaw. She pointed it out to your face." She chuckled, patting me on the shoulder.

If that was supposed to make me feel better, it wasn't working. Being neurotic couldn't possibly be the biggest hurdle in this situation.

But I would keep hoping it would be that way.

Liz put her right arm around my shoulders and started leading me down the hall. Patty tagged along behind us humming a wordless tune. "So, what was that about dinner you said earlier?" Liz questioned.

***

Liz and Patty allowed me to stew in my own thoughts regarding my merits all the way to Maka and Soul's apartment. I even started obsessing about other nonsense –_should have changed my suit to something less formal? Should I have brought something to contribute for dinner?_ I was so lost in the maze of "what-ifs" I nearly walked past the apartment building. Liz's sudden grab on my collar yanking me in reverse was the only clue I had walked too far up the street.

"Hey! Wake up!" She complained.

I could feel a bought of anxiety coming on, but I tried to fight it back. This was not an opportune time to have a mental collapse. I left my hands in my pockets to avoid fidgeting, but it was still a struggle. I still absentmindedly played with the rings on my hands. Even my surroundings were a blur. I wasn't even aware of climbing the four-floor's worth of steps into the building until a half-flight away from the apartment's front door.

There was a sudden crash, and I bounded for the door.

I pounded on the door, and then tried the handle. It opened freely; I couldn't help but comment on it. "Hey, you shouldn't leave your front door…"

And I couldn't help but stop. The apartment was in chaos.

Maka, in her apron, was chasing Blair in her feline form around the dinning room with a wooden spoon. It looked, and smelled, as if Blair has snatched a package of fish from the kitchen and was dropping small pieces of it around the apartment.

"Come back here, that's dinner!" Maka yelled.

Tsubaki knelt on the floor with Black Star's head on her knees. She was trying to revive him. He looked like he had just taken a blow to the head and face.

"Black Star! Wake up!" She begged, fanning him with a magazine.

It appeared that that blow had come from the apartment's flat screen television; it looked like Soul had managed to drop it on him. Sai was now trying to help Soul carry it, but it seemed much too heavy for her.

"I…ah!" She yelled. "Soul! Watch it!"

Sai tumbled backwards and landed with a thud, and the television landed on her abdomen. She struggled on the floor under its weight, trying to push it towards Soul at the opposing side. "Pick it up, will you?!" She yelled.

"Sorry!" He yelled though his teeth. He tried to pull it off of her, but it was obviously too heavy for one person alone. He was struggling.

I'm usually too polite to barge into someone's home, but I considered this an extenuating circumstance. Bounding over the couch between the living room and the front door, I braced myself next to Sai.

I looked at her with intent. "Hold on. Don't move."

She simply nodded, in obvious discomfort.

I fit my hands between her stomach and the edge of the television and pulled upwards. It didn't feel nearly as heavy as it looked.

Or it simply wasn't heavy to _me._

Soul and I sat the television on a prepared glass table to Sai's right.

The thoughts that had held off in my moment of heroism started to creep back. _It wasn't heavy for someone like me. _

_Why _would_ she like someone like me? Look at me…I'm a mess._

"Heh." Soul said with a pant, brushing his hands with each other. "Thank goodness you were early."

I could only stare at him. I didn't know I had returned early. If Soul was still agitated with me, I couldn't even ascertain. I was barely aware of anything, even my own existence.

Sai stood up from the floor and looked up at me. "Thanks Kid." She said with a smile, brushing off her black dress.

She had taken off the coat I had given her. _Why did she take it off? Did I do something wrong by giving it to her?_

I could feel myself start shaking in duress; my arms locked up at my sides.

She stared at me in confusion. "Kid, what's wrong?"

I stared at her, but I couldn't comprehend her words. I was in melt-down.

I could feel her grab my arms to try and support me, but it was too late. My head was swimming and my vision blurred.

"Kid!" Was the last thing I heard.

And I saw nothing but darkness.


	13. Chapter 12 Perchance to Nightmare

_Chapter 12 – Perchance to Nightmare_

**Death the Kid**

It's dark, and I'm five years old again. There's a light above my head. It's like I'm standing in the spotlight.

It's a repeating dream that spawns from my fears. Or my fears spawn from it. Maybe both ways.

I remember this place – it's a school. Death City Central Elementary. It was the first – and last – day I attended a regular school in Death City.

Father thought it would be good for me to try and fit in. I always talked about wanting to be like the other kids. I wanted to be considered _normal. _I wanted friends.

But I'm not sure what normal is for me, even now. Being a Shinigami makes me abnormal, I suppose. It makes me stand out.

I'm in front of the class again, being introduced by the teacher. The teacher was a plain looking woman. Nothing visually important, even in this dream. But I remember what _I_ looked like that day. Father had insisted I be dressed in a black suit coat and black shorts. I even had shined, black patent shoes. I matched perfectly, and I looked like I could be respected. If I was an adult, that is. My ideas of dress have never shifted from that, despite the ridicule that day.

Alas, small children don't care what you wear. Not if you look different _physically._ I still wonder if dressing in those clothes then made it even worse – exacerbated my problems that day. For I don't believe children focus on wealth or social standing unless it's in a negative light. That was the lesson I learned that day. Not that I comprehended that until much later. At five years old everything is either good or bad; not bad and worth learning about.

But I couldn't be an average child if I wanted to. That idea makes me hate who I am just a little bit. I like being me, but I don't like being different. Maybe that's one reason I enrolled at Shibusen – I could get away with being a tad different. But even there I am significantly different with my…_compulsions._ And now I have entire student body who knows who I am. But at least by now I've figured out how to make friends.

That's taken a lot of work, I must say.

Regardless, the dream shifts I'm in front of the class then. The first thing I remember the teacher saying was that I was Shinigami-sama's son. She even wrote it on the damn blackboard. The mummers started right away – "snotty," "stuck up," "rich kid." Some of them rolled their eyes or scowled at me. They were kids of Meisters and Weapons who had to devote their time to serving my father. But that wasn't the real problem, I believe. I _looked_ different. I remember one blond-hair child in particular told his desk-neighbor that I looked like "a freak with weird hair."

That one hurt just a little. My hair is a sensitive issue for me, even now. Maybe that's why I remember that moment so clearly. Or maybe it's the other way around; I'm not really sure. Father has always he told me he likes my hair, no matter how much it bothers me. And I really do try hard to believe him.

They were even _more_ bothered by my eyes. _Normal_ people don't have gold eyes, I suppose. Sitting at my new desk – I was forced to sit in the front because the classroom was full – one of them leaned over and asked if I could see in the dark. What, I was some sort of _cat _now?

What an absurd question. But children are full of those.

Some of the memory is blurred. Maybe I'm blocking it out, but I remember being called to the front of the classroom to answer a problem on the board. Was it a math problem? I can't remember it clearly. But I do remember not knowing the answer. I heard whispers of "moron" and "idiot."

I looked strange _and_ I was stupid. The entire day I was a target for ridicule.

Even back then I had the urge to arrange objects. That day I kept rearranging the items I had brought for class, on my desk. I couldn't help it. I wanted things to be perfect, orderly. Father says I've always had a touch of it – the urge to have perfection, evenness, and balance in space; it has grown worse over the years, as one may have guessed. One brunette girl to my right noticed my organizing at the time, and asked what the matter with me was. I told her nothing was wrong, I just wanted to arrange things – things weren't quite right, even after several tries. If I had had a ruler at the time, I probably would have measured to make sure things were spaced just right. Like I do now.

She called me weird, and went back to writing on a pad of paper with an oversized pencil.

Now I was _weird,_ as well. I was _weird_ for doing what I thought was _natural._ Years later I know its unusual behavior, but at that point I didn't even know why I did it. Now it hurts to know it's so odd. Though I do tend to feel a little dead inside about it; I care a little less what people think. Maybe I've been doing it for too long.

And I _still_ do it. I can't help it! Part of me hates myself for it. Maybe all of me does. Maybe that explains the panic attacks. Maybe that explains why I obsess over things I can't control.

Even in my dreams I'm organizing, rearranging, obsessing. I hate it. I can't stop the urge. I only seem to have nightmares now as a result.

The dream shifts again and I'm outside on the playground. I don't want to play with the other kids on the equipment because I'll get my clothes dirty. I was five years old – why did I care? _Why_ _couldn't I just act like any other kid?_

One of the kids came up to me and asked about my mother. I don't even remember why at this point. I told him I didn't have one. I had never known her. The boy told me she probably didn't want me because I was so weird. The comments and jeers were too much by that point. I broke down and started to cry in front of the other kids. I couldn't help it.

I went home that day and told the nursemaid all of the kids had made fun of me and that I had started to cry on the playground. I hated it; I didn't want to go back. Father pulled me from the school that day and hired a private tutor.

Maybe he should have left me there. I don't know what would have happened. Would I be different?

He just tells me now I'm "a handful." Even _he_ has to remind me that I'm not terrible and that I shouldn't obsess about things. I spend so much time anxious; so when I'm not, it's a strange feeling. I know it should probably be the other way around.

I know I like Sai. I really do. But Liz is right – why would anyone like me when this is what I'm like on the inside? If I can't like myself, how can anyone else like me?

Or am I just obsessing again? It's a vicious circle. Round and round, I seem to go.

Noise filtered into my mind and the dream's visuals blurred. "Kid! Kid, wake up!"

Who's there? I can't see anyone…I'm still a little child who's complaining to his nursemaid.

"Kid!" It was a woman's voice.

The vision shifted, and I snapped awake. I was myself again. Sai had been shaking me awake.

"What happened?" I panted. I was still shaking; like I had never stopped from hours ago. I could feel the sweat under my hair, and it felt hard to breathe.

She was kneeling on the floor next to me, staring at me in concern. "You started yelling in your sleep. It's taken a good ten minutes to get you to come to."

I sat up and noticed it was pitch black outside. "No, earlier. What happened earlier? What did I do?"

She sighed. "You were shaking and upset. You collapsed. You must have passed right into sleep because it's been hours."

I remembered it was dark outside. "What time is it?"

Sai looked over her right shoulder at a digital clock on her student's desk. "Almost eleven-thirty."

I had been unconscious for hours, and it was immediately embarrassing. I rolled over and hid myself under the blankets. "I'm sorry." I muttered.

Everything was muffled under the blankets; I could hear a knocking then, like a knock on a wooden door.

"Come in." Sai stated.

I could hear Liz. "Did he come to?"

"Yeah."

"Then what's the matter with him _now?"_ She sounded almost cross.

"I don't think he's feeling well, still. He probably needs to continue sleeping." Sai tried to play down my embarrassment, it seemed. She was hiding the fact that I was hiding.

_Could she be someone who could actually deal with my issues? _I debated.

"Hey Sai, guess what?" I could hear Patty's ever-upbeat voice.

Sai sounded tired. "What?"

"Kid's in love with you!" Patty announced.

Liz gasped. "That wasn't your secret to tell! We even talked about this _very_ issue specifically!" She scolded.

"Sorry, sister…" Patty droned. She seemed disappointed in her self for letting the secret slip out.

There was silence in the room. Sai didn't appear to have a response.

I thought about the moment of silence as a terrible sign: maybe I'll just hide under the blankets on a permanent basis, thank you.


	14. Chapter 13 Nervous Energy Outlier

_Chapter 13 – Nervous Energy Outlier_

**Sai Summers**

"So…yeah," I started. "Why don't you guys take off for the night?" I stood from the floor and wandered to the doorway.

Liz looked mildly surprised. "What about Kid?" It wasn't so much a question as a generalized statement of what either of us was going to do about him in his current state of mind.

I thought for a moment on it. "Leave him. I'll send him on his way in the morning. If I can get him to emerge from this…dread." I bit my lip in debate.

Patty looked at me with bright eyes. "Oh! You're gonna let him _stay_ here, huh?" She giggled. "What about…?"

Liz cut her off and scowled at her. "I think you've said plenty for the evening; let's go." She began dragging Patty out of the doorway by the arm.

I shut my bedroom door quietly behind them, and sighed.

"But sister…!" Patty whined, her voice growing fainter as they left the apartment.

I walked over and sat back down at Kid's right; he continued to take up residence in my sleeping-futon, buried under the comforter. "Are you asleep?" I questioned in honesty.

His answer was muffled. "No."

"Do plan on coming out of there?"

"No." His voice sounded depressed.

Not the answer I was looking for.

I decided to try another tactic. "Do you plan on rearranging my desk because it's in complete disarray?"

Kid sat up with a start and looked at my desk. The only thing on it was the quartz-timer clock I had used to mention the time earlier.

I cocked my head to the right. "I haven't finished unpacking yet."

He blinked and hung his head. "That was a cruel joke."

I nodded. "And it worked." I paused. "So why are you hiding in my bedding? Was what she said something horrid?"

Kid started scratching at his shirt collar, ignoring my question. It was loose from the upper buttons being opened and it appeared to be bothersome. "Where's my tie?"

I motioned to my desk chair in the far corner where his tie and jacket hung. I had left his well-shined black boots under it. "I figured you'd be more comfortable. You've been laying there for a quite a while."

He started to scratch at his hair.

I got curious, unfortunately. "What's the matter?"

He ignored my question and continued to scratch.

"Kid…?" I started.

Kid seemed unable to stop, and he started to pant. I grabbed his wrists, forcing him to cease and desist with the activity.

He sighed, and gave a half-smile. "Sorry, nervous energy." He explained, and I released his arms; he left them in his lap.

I then noticed Kid's gold eyes reflected his level of exhaustion.

"Maybe you should lie back down. You look like you could use some more sleep."

He eyed me unconvinced; he raised an eyebrow. "I figured you would want to discuss what just happened."

I shrugged. "I'm not going to push you to discuss something that makes you so _obviously_ uncomfortable. Despite my jokes, I'm not_ that_ cruel."

Kid's eyed narrowed. "Then why did you drag me out from under the blankets if you didn't want to discuss it with me?"

I laughed. "You're not _seriously_ going to get upset that I didn't want to let you cower in fear from me?"

He seemed taken aback. "What if I _was_ upset about that?"

And he got a smile from me in response. "Then I'd say you're full of it!"

Kid turned away from me, staring at the floor to his left.

There were several moments of silence.

This meeting-of-the-hearts wasn't going well.

I sighed, and stood half-way up. "Anyway, sorry…I should have just left you alone. We're arguing about nonsense."

Kid's iron grip grabbed my left wrist; I didn't turn to look at him.

"Wait. Say again what you said a moment ago." He asked of me, quietly.

I gathered my thoughts. "I'll just assume you _don't _mean the part about being full of it." I paused. "I said that I didn't want you to cower in fear from me."

He was unconvinced._ "No…_You said you didn't want me _to let myself_ cower in fear from you. Why did you say that?"

I chuckled. "I already forgot how perceptive you are." I shook my wrist and looked back at him with kindness. _"Um…_I'll sit down again if you let go of me. Promise."

Kid released my wrist and returned his right arm to his lap.

I bit my lip. "When you were asleep you kept talking about being afraid of people. You seem nervous a lot. You have anxiety…." My voice trailed off. I had lost the purpose of my thought.

His eyes narrowed again. "But what was your _point_ before? Why is me allowing myself to be afraid a problem?"

I had no immediate response for him. "You're a striped ball of nerves and I worry about that?" Was all I could come up with.

He gave a slight sigh and a scowl. "You're using humor to cover up what's really bothering you…it's irritating."

Kid was so perceptive; to the point that it hurt. I didn't know how to word it, how to say it. I lowered my head.

I could hear the distress in his voice. "What _is_ it, Sai?" He paused. "Please tell me." He asked quietly. "Fine, I'll say it. Patty wasn't really making it up. I _do _like you…but if it's a problem, I'm sorry…" He allowed his voice to trail off.

I struggled to make my thoughts coherent. "It's not…Kid…"

I just wasn't sure I _could_ say it. The tears welled up in my eyes.

Kid lowered his head and looked up at me. "Sai?" He paused and turned away. "I guess I really _am _that bad…you don't even want to tell me you're not interested."

_I can't tell him! I don't want him to be afraid of me, too! _I realized.

I jumped up from the floor and bolted for the door. I flung it open and ran into the living room. And unfortunately for him, right into Soul who was carrying a white plastic bowl of freshly popped popcorn.

"Whoa!" He dropped the bowl and its contents scattered. "What's the matter?!"

I covered my face with my hands to hide my tears. Soul held onto my shoulders.

I heard footsteps behind me; Kid had run into the living room and stood outside of my room.

"Did he say something mean to you?" Soul asked quietly, smoothing my hair with his left hand.

I shook my head "no" hard.

Soul seemed confused. "Then what's wrong?"

I heard Maka's bedroom door open, and she wandered into the living room. "What's going on? Everyone looks upset." She stood with her arms crossed against her chest.

"I think Sai's too afraid of the way I am." Kid muttered. He scratched his head and looked at the floor.

Soul made a sour face and sighed. "Actually Kid, I think you have it backwards."

There was confusion in his voice. "Then…?"

Soul didn't waste time on a basic introduction. "Sai has the ability to consume a Meister while they're alive. She essentially absorbs their entire existence – mind, body, and soul. She spent five years out of the country, in a remote area of Iceland, trying to learn how to restrain that ability."

I heard Maka whistle through her teeth.

"I'm a monster." I muttered through my hands.

Soul pulled my arms down and pushed me into sitting down on the green, polyester couch. "No you're not, and it's not your fault."

There was silence from Kid for a long moment. "I wonder if that would only apply to _human_ Meisters…" I heard him debate quietly with himself, after a moment.

Soul patted the top of my head and I looked up at him. "Even amongst our Weapon-laden family, it is one of the strangest abilities. No one else alive currently has the faculties to perform it."

I sniffed. "On the chart of abilities, I fall way to the outskirts of normal."

Kid wanted the details. "Is it _only_ Meisters?" He asked abruptly.

Soul sat down on the couch at my right. "We believe so, yes."

He seemed reluctant to ask. "Has is ever happened? The _eating_ of a Meister…"

Soul shook his head. "No. It's just a latent skill for now."

"What triggers it you think?" Kid asked curiously.

Soul and I answered at the same time: "Extreme rage."

Kid seemed mildly bemused. "I want to say it's strange, but I would be the pot calling the kettle black. But I'm not sure it really matters. After five years, and it's never actually happened, why would you be _so_ afraid to mention it?"

I tried to hide my shame with humor again. "Because most people don't want to die?"

Kid scowled. "Be serious for a moment, would you?"

I tried to smile. "Because you already seem to have so much you're afraid of, and I didn't want to add myself to that list. That's why I didn't want to say anything. But I didn't want to hide it – I knew you'd go looking for an answer about it anyway. Soul told me you're very curious about what is unique or of concern."

Kid leaned against the doorjamb, crossing his arms across his chest. "I can see that being something worth being afraid of." He paused. "But you've already realized I have some unrealistic fears, right? I have fears – some like other people – some not. And do you really think _dying_ is one of those for me?"

I shook my head.

He wanted to test me. "What is your _real_ fear in this whole scenario?"

I already knew the answer. "Myself."

He smiled. "Then we're even."

I looked up at him, and then hung my head. "I'm still afraid I could hurt you."

Kid ignored my comment, and walked to my right, into the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a sharpened steak knife in his right hand.

I felt my eyes grow large.

Maka was silent in confusion, but Soul tried to comment: "Kid…what are you doing…?"

He stabbed himself in the left shoulder with the knife, and then abruptly pulled it out. It made the sound of slicing through meat, and the room smelled like coppery blood. He gave a light grunt, but made no other motions of discomfort.

Maka and I shrieked. Soul stood aghast.

A thin line of blood ran down his chest and stained his shirt, but it wasn't nearly as much as I had expected.

Kid walked over and stood in front of Maka, offering the knife to her handle-first. "Would you like this back? I'm done using it. " He asked in all seriousness.

Maka threw a fit, her arms rigid at her side. "No!!! Of course not! What are you doing?!"

He shrugged and stepped in front of Soul. Soul took the knife from him, and asked no questions.

Kid stepped next to me, bowed at the waist, and pulled his white dress-shirt back. He exposed the puncture wound he had just made. It had already ceased to bleed.

"I'll take my chances with death." He stated with a smile. Kid then realized his own pun and chortled. "Chances with death. Nice." He stood up and walked back towards my room. Over his shoulder he stated: "If you don't mind, I _am_ going to rest for a bit longer. I'm still a bit on the tired side."

I tried to put my thoughts together. "Uh, that's fine."

"Thank you. And I'll leave the shirt on the chair. I wouldn't want to get blood on the bedding."

I smiled. "Th-Thank you." I managed to get out finally. I was still suffering from shock.

Kid gave a final nod and shut the bedroom door behind him.

Soul – with the bloody knife still in his hand – and Maka both stared at me.

"Kid just stabbed himself over you." Soul stated flatly.

I nodded. "I know. And that scares the absolute _hell_ out of me."


	15. Chapter 14 A Nice, Quiet Saturday

_Chapter 14 – A Nice, Quiet Saturday_

**Sai Summers**

It had turned into a long night

After Kid went back to sleep on my futon, I couldn't wake him up again. It seemed that since he had released the stress of telling me his feelings, he didn't need to worry about anything else at the moment, and finally got some honest rest.

With all puns intended, it was like trying to wake the dead to get him out of my bed. I eventually gave up. But amusingly enough, when he's relaxed and asleep, Kid snores akin to a freight train's clamor. I almost wished I had had some way to record it to play it back for him. Complete blackmail material, I do say.

I was able to shower and change my clothes in my room at least – when you're dead to the world, it apparently doesn't matter what commotion is going on around you. It was nice to finally put on some more casual clothes. The black leggings and white sweater worked even better with my looks than the dress I had been wearing all day. In the morning I would decide between my pairs of black slip-ons and kick-your-ass boots.

What sleep I got was from sleeping on the couch in the living room with an under-stuffed couch pillow over my head. This was after cleaning up what of Kid's blood had ended up on the carpet in his love-induced self-mutilation, and the entire bowl of popcorn that Soul had dropped when I ran into him. Soul and I were up till after three a.m. vacuuming and treating the floor. I blame Maka's obsessive-ness with cleaning for that. She wouldn't let us sleep until it was done.

Sometime around seven, I heard the kitchen phone ring. I remember swearing about it, and trying to ignore it. I pulled my light blue afghan up higher on me, and turned in to face the couch itself.

"Sai?" Soul's voice indicated he was also half-awake. I looked over my left shoulder at him, feeling the scowl on my face. He stood over me wearing a red and white pajama top. "This better be _damn_ important." I told him quietly.

He stared at me for a moment, and then blinked. "I'll take a message." He stated flatly and walked back towards the kitchen.

Within a few moments, I was back asleep.

The next thing I remember was hearing a pounding at the front door. I was wishing immediately they would go away. Rolling over to my left side, I noticed my bedroom's door was open. It appeared that Kid had left within the last hour or so. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was somewhat glad – I got my bed back, and it was most certainly calling me.

Much like the person at the door. "Sai! Soul! Open up!"

"Soul…" I whined. "Will you get the door?"

He had been sitting at the kitchen table gnawing on a piece of buttered toast. I watched him open the front door and stick his head out. I then shut my eyes again. I might not even be awake enough to move into my room, I realized.

Soul looked back at me from the door. "Sai, it's for you."

I pulled back my eyelids, and dragged myself up from the couch; I wrapped the afghan around me and wandered over to Soul's left. "Who is it at this ungodly hour on a _Saturday?"_ I asked him quietly.

Soul opened the door wider. It was Black Star.

I sighed and my shoulders fell. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed confused and mildly disappointed. "Didn't you get my message?"

"Uh…" I looked at Soul on my right.

"Hold on." Soul wandered to the kitchen, and returned shortly with a pad of yellow and blue lined paper. He handed it to me and I noticed it had a message scrawled on it:

_Black Star called. He is challenging you to a rematch today at Shibusen. He'll be here at nine to go with you (us?) to the school. Everyone is invited to watch._

_He didn't say if it was an official duel or not._

It was five minutes to nine.

I handed the pad back and looked at Soul. "So you took down the message, but didn't bother to let me know _anything_ about it, including the fact he was coming and I was still asleep?"

He continued to gnaw on his toast, and shrugged. "Sorry."

I hummed. "I take it Maka's gone; otherwise she would have been dragging me awake."

He nodded. "She left when Kid did earlier. Library, I guess."

I noticed the look on Black Star's face showed impatience at being ignored. "Well, are we going or not?" He demanded to know.

I shook my head. "I really don't feel like this today."

"Oh, come on!" He whined. "I think you _owe_ me a fair fight! And it's a Saturday, what else are _you _going to do? _Study?"_ Black Star added a laugh – apparently the idea of a student studying in their off-hours was amusing for him.

I scowled. "I don't owe you anything with regards to a fight. You picked the last one because you have _issues."_

A voice floated in the hallway. "She has other plans, Black Star." Kid had returned to the apartment. He looked showered and had changed his clothes. It seemed at unusual at first glance to see him in black cargo pants, a simple white tank top and a black, unbuttoned dress shirt. Kid seemed much more relaxed than the last time I had seen him.

I found myself thinking he was rather cute at the moment…if _cute_ was the right word for someone who looked as foreboding as Kid.

Black Star eyed him in suspicion, and then mocked Kid's attitude on life. "Speaking of issues!" He paused a moment in apparent thought. "And what other plans? And what do they have to do with _you?" _He demanded to know.

Kid looked at him like it was above Black Star's comprehension. "I didn't think it too out of line of me to invite her for a nice, quiet day in the city. Maybe spend a little time at the local coffeehouse." His voice was smooth, yet upbeat.

To me, a nice quiet day sounded wonderful after the long night.

It wasn't above Black Star's head. "But you haven't invited her yet, I take it."

Kid looked at me and smiled. "She can consider this her invitation."

I returned the smile, but Black Star wasn't having any of it. "I called first thing this morning to tell her about the match."

Kid scowled at him and raised his voice a bit. "Did she ever accept the match?"

Black Star matched his tone and shook his head in spite. "Doesn't matter! If I say it's a _duel_ she has to comply as a student of Shibusen!"

Kid's voice grew agitated, and the calmness he was emitting prior began to fade. He stuffed his hands in his pants' pockets. "Soul wrote down that you _never_ told him it was an official duel."

Black Star tried to trap Kid in his own words. "And how do _you _know that?"

Kid wasn't falling for it. "I was still here at the time. I returned home to shower about an hour ago. And here I am now, back, and planning to take her out for the day."

Black Star crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, I just didn't know at the time I called. I got approval for it _more_ than an hour ago! Rules are rules!"

"Would you just stop lying?" Kid retorted, letting his arms fall down at his sides.

Soul finished with the slice of toast he had been chewing, and ran his right hand through his hair. "Can we not argue in the hallway, the neighbors will get pissed off, guys."

They chose to ignore Soul.

Black Star seemed invigorated by the idea of annoying Kid with the policy of the school. "You're all about rules, so why don't _you_ follow them? Huh?! Think you're so above the rest of us, don't you! Shinigami-sama's kid is _special…" _

The idea of Shibusen ruining his weekend fun appeared to not sit well with Kid. "You're seriously trying to tell me _I_ should comply with the school's rules right this moment just because it suits _your_ momentary bloodlust? It's a freaking Saturday!"

Black Star was riled and balled his fists. "Yes it is! And _you're_ student too! Maybe I should just fight you instead!"

Kid's eyes revealed his anger. "I have no intention of accepting any mindless duels from you!"

"Mindless! I never fight _'_mindless duels'!" Black Star stated in anger.

Kid stared him down. "Your right, because that assumes at some point in time you were involved in _having_ a brain!"

I looked at Soul in consternation. "Umm…what should we do? I _really_ don't want the neighbors angry."

Soul tried again. "Hey guys, can we bring it inside?" He pushed the door open wider.

Black Star stormed inside and Kid followed him. It finally gave Soul a chance to shut the door, and try to contain the noise. He leaned against the doorjamb with his eyes shut.

I sighed and pulled out one of the kitchen table's chairs. I took a seat, blanket and all. "Guys, seriously…this is getting out of hand." I muttered.

The argument began to spread to issues beyond the fight. "Don't go storming around other peoples' homes! Don't you have any respect?" Kid demanded to know, pointing at the floor.

Black Star whirled on him. "At least I have some _self-respect!_ I don't have to go and _beg_ someone to spend time with me!"

Kid's eyes widened and he shook off the idea. _"Who's_ _begging?_ And who the hell would want to spend time with a loud mouth like you, anyway?!"

It was at this point I could feel a headache gathering.

Black Star wasn't done with that train of thought. "Loud mouth?! And at least I'm not _neurotic_ about stupid stuff…"

Kid didn't let him finish. He threw a right-hook punch into Black Star's jaw. The force knocked him back a step. Black Star retaliated with a kick to Kid's head, which he shook off.

I was in shock. I left the blanket in the chair and stood near the two to make my point. "Guys! Seriously, stop! You're ruining the morning!" I complained.

Unfortunately, Black Star and Kid were beyond reasonable discussion at this point.

There was a knock at the door. Soul opened the door and stuck his head out into the hallway. He pulled himself back into the apartment and pushed the door opened.

It was Tsubaki. She wore a simple, light blue A-line dress, and looked like she had planned to spend a nice, quiet day in Death City herself.

She walked around the argument and stood at my right. "I don't mean to barge in. I got worried when Black Star didn't come back down stairs." She told me quietly.

I could still hear bits and pieces of the fight. The argument was bordering on absurd. The quarrel had shifted to a discussion of each other's sense of clothing style. Apparently Kid thought he was a vampire, and Black Star dressed like he thought he was a superhero.

I tried to reassure her with a smile. "It's not your fault. I'm glad you came up."

She was obviously embarrassed, and hung her arms in front of her, and her black hair hung around her face; it looked as if she was trying to hide behind it. "He's not always like this. Really."

Soul appeared behind her suddenly and eyed her curiously. "You sure 'bout that?" He raised an eyebrow.

I scowled at him. "Be nice."

Soul shrugged; he wandered around us and into the kitchen.

I bit my lip. "I don't know how you handle it. Must be tough with someone like Black Star, Tsu."

Tsubaki gave a small smile in response. "He can be an overwhelming person. But I _really_ believe he has a good heart."

I nodded.

Confusion showed in her face as she watched the disagreement. "What started this, anyway?"

I shrugged. "Bad timing, I guess."

The battle had shifted to a discussion regarding Kid's hair, and he was enraged.

I sighed. "Why are these guys like this?"

"Hmm. I'm more wondering why _Kid_ is like this. He's usually so calm and collected…in a fight." She debated quietly, letting her voice trail off.

I eyed her in confusion. "He always seems like a nervous wreck to me."

She gave a light giggle, but it seemed like she didn't plan to explain.

The noise level from Kid and Black Star began to increase with the concept at hand. I walked over and stood within a foot of them. Kid was on my right, with Black Star on my left. "Hey guys, can you tone it down? You're absurdly loud." I left my hands on my hips.

I caught the tail end of the words coming from Black Star's mouth: "…so if you really like her _that_ much."

He reached out and grabbed my left breast through my sweater with his right hand, and I cried out in shock. I fell back step back in distress, wrapping my arms at my abdomen.

"Why you…!" Was all we heard from Kid, as he landed a direct hit to Black Star's face with his right fist. Black Star went rolling backwards, landing again Maka's closed bedroom door with a thump.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki yelled. She rounded Kid and I and fell to her knees at Black Star's left. "Are you alright?!" She demanded to know, shaking him.

Kid took a step to his right and turned towards me. He seemed to have lost his collected sense of reason after the long argument. "If you're going to do it, at least do _both!"_ He complained. He reached out with both hands, and grabbed my full chest.

There was a moment of silence, and Kid simply stared at me. His eyes grew wide, and I even I didn't know what to do for a moment.

I could hear Soul muttering behind us. "Uh, Kid…"

Soul's voice broke my confusion. I screamed, wound back my right arm, and slapped Kid across his left cheek. He immediately fell back, holding his face.

"Heh." Soul laughed darkly. "You _totally_ deserved that."

Kid put his hand down, and I could see his cheek was severely red. I both broke out into absurd laughter, which after a moment, he joined in.

Somehow it was funny when Kid did it – it was in his desire for symmetry in everything – _but…_

I wheeled on Black Star, and stormed towards him – he continued to sit cross-legged on the wooden floor in front of the door_._ It seemed like he was laughing at Kid's idiocy._"You…_if you wanna grab a chick's chest, do it to your partner." I felt bad having to use Tsubaki in the situation, but I felt the need to make my point. "And you're on! I'll use your dead body to wipe down Shibusen's paving stones!"

Black Star jumped up from the floor, shaking his fists in glee. "Yes!" He yelled with a laugh. "Haha, I win!"

I watched Tsubaki sigh. I wondered if maybe she had been planning to stop the whole thing by coming upstairs, and that I had thrown an oversized monkey wrench into her plans.


	16. Chapter 15 Route of Exception

_Chapter 15 – Route of Exception_

**Sai Summers**

"I'm pretty sure I can get my father to grant you an exception in this case. _New Student _clause or such." Kid stated. He languished in the open doorway to my bedroom, leaning against the door frame.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands, and watched myself in the plain, oval mirror I had hung up in my room a few nights before. I started to sort out my hair in the back with a red plastic comb, and pull it back into a pair of ponytails – one on each side of my head.

I put the comb in my mouth, and pulled my hair on the left side taunt. "That's the third time you've offered to get me out of the fight. Stop it." I mumbled through the comb. I wrapped a black rubber band around the partition.

Kid crossed his arms across his chest. "There's no reason for you to do this. It's just his ego that started this problem in the first place. And you beat him just yesterday. He should have waited before issuing an official challenge."

I took the comb down and turned on him. "And it was _your_ ego allowed that argument to go on for twenty minutes." I told him curtly.

He scowled and focused his contempt. "He was being an ass. There was no reason to act that way today."

"But in the end he _was_ right. I even called the school to confirm it. Based on the rules, I _have_ to comply."

"That's why I keep suggesting going to my father on this. You haven't officially started the semester yet."

I frowned. "I've read the handbook – I'm enrolled, so it's a moot point. And stop making excuses, it's an ugly trait."

"But…" His voice trailed off, and he sighed.

I was becoming frustrated. "Kid, I had to wait _two years_ to be admitted to Shibusen. I can't afford to screw this up. Even if it means inconveniencing myself."

He stared at me in response. One would have expected to see anger, but it resembled exasperation.

I eyed him in confusion. "What?"

Kid looked nervous, and then hung his head abruptly. "Only half of your hair is up." He muttered.

I sighed, put the comb back into my mouth, and started to pull up the right side of my hair. "Listen, relax." I paused and finished tying it, tossing the comb onto the desk. "This won't be as big of a deal as you're making it out to be. You're inflating the problem. It'll be a quick fight and we'll go on with the day."

He leaned back against the door, and stared at the floor in apparent thought.

"You know, when you were asleep I got a chance to talk to Black Star. He's the kind of guy that doesn't let things go, I think. If its not now, it might be Monday morning. I'd rather get this over with _today._ _Now._ I guess…I assumed…you would understand that. I'm sure you know him better than I do."

Kid had no response.

There was a knock on the door frame; Soul was standing at Kid's right, but still in the living room. "You guys okay? Everyone can hear you guy arguing."

I was aware of Soul's presence, but I chose to ignore his question. I sat down on the floor and started to tie on my white ballet shoes. I had opted for something light and with ease of movement.

Something seemed wrong. I cocked my head to the right. "Does this even have anything to _do_ with Black Star?"

Still no response. Kid stood rigid.

"Hold on." I heard Soul say, and I heard him step away from the door.

I started to dig in a cardboard shipping box. I was looking for my black _mala_ (1) beads to tie around my left arm. I was having no luck in finding them.

There was a knock again at the door. Soul had returned, noisily gnawing on an apple. His black and white "Eat Your Soul" shirt looked a little small on his frame.

"You eat too much. You're gonna get fat." I jested.

He chewed. "I'll let you know when that happens." He promised. "Here."

Soul handed me a piece of blue-lined, white notebook paper. On it was a simplified map of Death City done in pencil. Six buildings were labeled with names, and the route lead in a confusing circle of sorts to and from the apartment. More unusual was that every time the route turned a corner, the turn had a circle around the point of conjuncture. The circles appeared to had been counted, and the number eight written to the side of the map.

"Eight?" I muttered. "What's eight? Eight _turns…?"_

Kid suddenly became animated again. "Isn't it perfect? _Eight turns!_ The perfect route for a day in the city."

Soul eyed him wearily; he stepped around Kid and into the room and sat down at my left cross-legged.

I noticed something off about the map though, but I was having trouble seeing it visually in my tired state. I sat down on the floor and put the map flat. "Hey Soul, grab me a pencil from that little box." I pointed to a ten by ten inch cardboard box on the floor to me right.

He pulled the box into his lap and dug in it for a moment. "Pen okay?" He asked, still looking.

I nodded. "Yeah, that works."

He tossed me a dark blue ball-point pen and I started to trace over the route. I added in the extra turns required if I was going to from the apartment to Shibusen _first,_ and then back into the route that was already planned.

"Eleven." I stated flatly, writing the answer on the paper. "Eleven turns."

Kid's twisted sense of reality dawned on me_…hard._

"Going to Shibusen adds three turns…"I paused. "You…you don't want me to fight Black Star _today_ because it'll mean taking eleven turns on today's route?!" I questioned in shock. I waved the piece of paper in Kid's general direction.

Kid threw himself to his knees and started to pound the wooden floor with his left fist. "I tried and I tried! The route keeps coming out to eleven!"

I looked at Soul. He simply shut his eyes, and hung and shook his head.

Kid continued to pound. "The route's all wrong!"

I sat stunned. "I'm not sure I can handle this…"

Liz appeared in the doorway with her hands on her hips, and sighed. Her dark jeans and red sweater seemed more relaxed than her. "What is it _this_ time?" She asked in annoyance.

I pulled myself off of the floor; I brushed off my black pants. "The number of turns is an odd number, apparently."

"I'm disgusting for not being able to make it a proper number of turns! The route is terrible! I wouldn't want to go anywhere with me!" He complained; his voice was muffled by the floor and his thumping.

I tried to avoid being candid, but it was difficult. "I really don't think you have any control over the number eleven being an odd number."

"The turns are all wrong!" He announced, sobbing. "There's an extra left turn! I can't do it! I can't go an extra left!"

"The turns are just fine…your route is just fine…" I started, but quickly realized I wasn't getting through to him. I had to raise my voice over the noise. "Hey, Liz, got any ideas?"

Her lips pursed. "Despite the fit, he's actually _somewhat_ rational in these instances. You'll have to come up with something that puts it into his frame of mind, though."

"I don't think there's anything we can do about the turns, unless he doesn't go with us to Shibusen." I mentioned offhandedly.

Soul dropped his shoulders and sighed. "We already tried that."

"Hmm…_hey, wait!" _I was taken aback. "You already knew about this?" I demanded of Soul, now shaking the paper map down at him.

"That's why I came in here. I thought that was what you were fighting about, actually." He appeared embarrassed.

Maka appeared at the door, covering her ears. "Hey guys, he's going to damage the floor."

I wanted to comment on the ugliness of Maka's purple sweats outfit, but I figured it wasn't the right place or time.

"Then you figure out how to make him stop." I cajoled of her.

Kid continued to make noise, and it was becoming more than I could handle. The headache from earlier was being stubborn. And while Kid's complaints had become unintelligible, he continued to pound the floor.

I sat down again with my legs propped up, with the map on the floor again. I drew a line between the first number one and the second, physically dividing the number eleven in half spatially. I would be lying if I didn't admit it that seemed to me to be on the childish side.

"The number eleven isn't_ so_ bad. Not if you consider you can divide it in half physically." I mentioned, watching the map on the floor.

And it seemed to be more than successful for the moment.

The pounding stopped and the piece of paper disappeared from in front of me with a shuffling noise.

"Why don't you just deal with the number eleven at the moment, and we can deal with the left turns later, okay?" I questioned.

Kid had come up to his knees. He didn't look full satisfied with my answer, but it was enough to stop the fit. He appeared to be scrutinizing the paper, and was silent.

Liz half-smiled, leaning against the doorway. "I'm impressed. You figured that one out pretty fast."

I eyed her with negativity. "What do you mean?"

She lowered her shoulders. "I figured you needed to try and figure it out…by yourself."

I watched Maka made a face of dread and walk from the doorway. I eyed Soul, but he averted my gaze. I was missing something.

"You…you _knew_ what was wrong, but you let him throw a fit _anyway!"_ I realized, balling my fists.

Liz threw up her arms, and started to laugh. "I thought it was important for you to figure out how to fix it! It's an acquired talent! He does this a lot!"

We could hear Patty's voice from the living room. "Kid likes to beat him self up a lot!"

I was so close to losing my mind I couldn't come up with a rational retort. I hung my head in my hands and let go a mildly hysterical laugh.

"So…how 'bout that duel, huh?" I heard Soul mention with a clap of his hands. He then patted me on the back.

Better to do the fight now, I realized. I had no idea if my mind was going to make it to school on Monday. I might be crazy by then.

* * *

1 Article on _mala _- Wikipedia: Buddhist_prayer_beads


	17. Chapter 16 God Defiant

_Chapter 16 – God Defiant_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

***

**Sai **

I stretched out my back and arms. Sleeping – what little sleep I had gotten – on the couch had caused me to cramp up.

I kept hoping this would be over fast. I hadn't figured out how to handle the left turns' issue, yet. Black Star's ego wasn't high enough on my list at the moment to put a lot of consideration into. If he wanted to have issues, he could have them some other day.

"This is stupid." I muttered aloud.

Stein and Sid, the blue zombified instructor in charge of Meister Arts, were officiating the duel. Somehow Stein had managed to drag a rolling desk chair all of the way outside, and was sitting in it backwards. A little part of me wished he'd fall over – I had heard it was amusing to watch.

Black Star was chatting with Tsubaki about thirty feet away.

And I was impatient.

"Hey little man, can we get this over with?!" I shouted at him, waving my arms.

***

**Kid**

"She's trying to psyche him out by calling him small." Soul muttered. "Good luck with that."

I had to agree with him. "I don't think you can 'psych' out someone like Black Star. He likes himself too much."

Soul took a bite of an apple he brought with him, and I looked at him.

"You know, she's right, you are going to end up fat." I mentioned offhandedly.

He eyed me. "Watch it, bean pole." He threatened through a mouthful.

I sighed. "And with that attitude, I'm quite sure you two are related."

***

**Sai **

I stared Black Star down. "Do you ever get tired of talking about yourself?"

He laughed. "Of course not! I am the man you surpassed God. I really _am_ that impressive."

"You really should stop insulting Shinigami-Sama. It'll end up getting you struck down someday." My eyes glanced in Kid and Soul's direction; they were engaged in conversation.

Black Star laughed, noticing the direction of my gaze. "That 'god' is nothing!"

I had no idea what god he was talking about. The "God Concept" in and of itself bothered me greatly.

He grinned, noticing the discomfort on my face. "I hadn't taken you for a religious girl."

I scowled, placing my staff in front of me. "I'm not. I just know my place."

"Ha, and _my_ place is among the stars!" He announced.

"Ugh. Good lord, you can be _so_ annoying." I droned.

***

**Kid**

"Black Star has a twisted sense of god. Half of the time I can't figure out if he's talking about my father or…" I scratched my head in confusion.

Soul rolled his eyes. "He knows jack about religion. I always assume he's talking about some ambiguous concept he saw on television."

I chortled. "I'll have to keep that in mind. But he does have some strange idea that because I have the physics of a _shinigami,_ I'm somehow the god he needs to beat to 'surpass God.'"

Soul appeared to be considering the concept. "Hmm, I never did ask you about that. So you don't consider yourself a god in the Western religious sense, I take it."

"God, no." I told him with a snort. "Pun intended."

I paused. "Besides, I would like to think that the Almighty God is somehow more _impressive_ looking than me."

Soul chuckled. "You're right, bean pole."

I was annoyed. "Would you stop calling me that?!"

***

**Sai**

I held him down by leaving my foot just below his throat. "Like I said." I huffed. "You have no right to say you are above God. God will send someone to teach you the hard way then."

He was holding onto my ankle, trying to push me back.

"You may train harder than me. You might even have been training longer than me." I flinched as he squeezed my Achilles' tendon. "But your ego will cause you to lose!" I twisted away from his grasp and kicked him in the jaw, kicking him a feet few away.

Black Star came up to his feet with a thud on the paving stones. "Heh." He wiped his face with the back of his right hand. "My ego fits me. Maybe you should stop pretending you don't have one."

I slid back several feet, and I could feel a growl in my throat. "Excuse me?"

"You like to pretend you're not special. You act like you're _embarrassed_ about it. I bet you really _enjoy_ getting to stand out."

I was defiant with my words, but my will was weakening in my current state. "Out of this group, I think standing out your job. I'll leave that desire in your hands."

"Never want to talk about you, do you? That selflessness is all an act!" He charged at me. I was able to block his fist with the staff, but I became off-balance, and fell backwards, landing on my right side. Black Star landed a kick, and I felt myself go rolling across the courtyard.

***

**Kid**

"There's only one major problem she has in a fight." Soul stated matter-of-factly.

I assumed Soul was joking. "Her attitude?"

He sputtered and a piece of apple flew from his mouth. "I promise, I won't tell her you said that."

Embarrassment set in. "You were being serious. I apologize."

Soul bit off another piece of his apple. "Amazingly, yes. Anyway, she can't collect souls."

I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. "You're _lying."_ I told him, drawing out the last word.

He shook his head, and looked disappointed. "It's not known why, but she can't consume them in her current state. Some sort of error in her abilities."

I watched Sai argue with Black Star. It wasn't much of a physical fight as a battle of egos. "She can do so much, but not the one thing that's necessary. It's a pity."

He shook his head hard this time. "Don't feel bad for her. She'll get pissed at me if you do. I'm not really supposed to say anything. And Stein's helping her, so we hope it can be…acquired?" Soul appeared thoughtful. "I'm not sure if that's the right word. But find whatever the trigger is, I guess."

I shrugged. "Shibusen would be the right place to learn it, I suppose."

He nodded. "It's a lot safer for her to be at Shibusen, anyway. In Iceland people thought she was a witch."

"Because she can't collect souls?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Soul rocked on his heels. "More because she just can't change her body into a weapon without help. And seriously, if you didn't know what or who she was, wouldn't _you_ have thought that?"

I frowned. "I'm not sure that's a valid question for _me,_ but a lot of people I can imagine it being true. People have enough trouble dealing with the Weapon concept to begin with."

Soul looked at me in thought. "Just curious; why would that not be a valid question for you?"

I blinked at him in confusion. "I am a Shinigami after all."

Soul raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

Somehow, not even I knew the answer to the question at hand. "Um…and I like to read?"

Soul smacked his forehead with his right palm. "In other words, you're just a nerd who can tell the difference based on a book."

I bit my lip. "Pretty much."

***

**Sai**

I had been lucky in that he didn't toss me into the wall, so I was able to pull myself back to my feet. I used my staff as a crutch. I could feel a sense of vertigo, and I wondered how much longer I could fight while exhausted.

I would try a different technique to end the fight.

Black Star was in front of me. He grabbed the left shoulder of my sweater and pulled me towards him. "Are you even trying?"

My eyes burned. "No." I snuffled. "I don't want to."

He scowled. "What?"

I hung my head. "I'm not special Black Star. I'm not. Please just…just let this go. You win. You've already defeated me mentally."

"You're fighting like this duel doesn't matter. It's insulting."

"This fight doesn't matter." I muttered.

He released my sweater, and I sunk down on the ground.

Black Star's force was firm. _"Every _fight should matter. If you go into the field like this you'll never gain a single soul. Or you'll end up dead."

"There are worse things than death, Black Star." I told him, staring at the ground.

He grabbed my sweater again and yanked me to my feet. He was visibly upset. "Never say that! _Nothing_ is worse than not existing! You can always try to fix things when you're alive. It's too late when you're dead!"

I blinked at him. He was right, but I couldn't figure out how it to be true. It didn't matter though – I had the answer to a more pressing problem.

"No matter what you do when you're alive. As long as you stay that way you can try to make amends." He released me and I stood up.

His thoughts and gaze seemed to be far away.

Using his emotions had failed. I _would_ have to hurt him, it appeared.

***

**Kid**

"Poor Black Star." Soul muttered.

I was confused. "What do you mean? Sai was just sitting on the ground."

"She was trying to see if she could just have him concede. Looks like she failed." He explained.

It didn't look like Sai was making any effort to defeat Black Star to me.

***

**Sai **

I pulled my staff behind my back, and whipped it to the front. The ringed head connected with the left side of Black Star's head with a thud.

He returned to reality quickly. _"What the hell did you did that for?!"_ He yelled, going into a rage.

I put my arm down and the staff shimmered out of existence.

I grinned at him. "I originally thought you were a very shallow person. But that kind of pain and emotion can only come from experience."

Black Star stared at me in confusion, holding the left side of his head.

"It's been a long time since I met someone so sure of themselves. When you're not sure of who you are, it's tough to interact with someone who is."

He made a sour face. "Thanks Maka."

I giggled. "Oh no, I'm most _certainly_ not her."

I opened my eyes wide, and I watched Black Star's face contort in confusion.

***

**Kid**

I watched Black Star's face light up in confusion. "Is she doing something to him?"

Soul stuffed his hands in his jeans' pockets. "He can see the markings in her eyes. The black and red saw-tooth pattern."

"The same as on your blade." I noted.

"It's our family pattern for Weapons. She can produce it in round objects, so we call it the _Razorblade Halo_ on her. Done in her eyes it's a sign of the weapon being internalized. She adds the strength of her weapon into her physical frame and…"

Soul was cut off by a grunting noise.

Sai had handed a right-hook between Black Star's eyes and he flew back. He landed a solid ten feet back, with a thud and a groan.

***

**Sai**

"What was the real point of this Black Star?" I yelled.

He looked up at me from the ground. "I wanted a rematch."

I was growing agitated. "I don't want to fight with me friends! Why are you making me do this?"

I could see a touch of realization in his face.

***

**Kid**

"I'm surprised she didn't charge after him and kick him." I noted, watching Sai languish in circles around the fallen Black Star.

Soul watched intently. "He's faster than her at this point. Sai needs to make sure he doesn't get back up. She's sacrificing speed for brute strength and heavy defense."

I was somewhat confused. "What do you mean 'heavy defense?'"

Soul looked at me. "It sounds stupid, but ever run _straight_ into a wall?"

"I have, actually." I told him with a grimace. "So her frame is strengthened, I take it. As a result she's stronger, but slower."

Soul put his arms behind his head. "Can't have everything, I guess."

Sai kicked Black Star on his left side, and we went rolling across the courtyard.

_So that was why I wasn't able to push her out of the way yesterday,_ I realized.

***

**Sai**

I stood over Black Star, who sat up and looked dejected. "Can I stop kicking you about now? I'd like to get on with the rest of my day." I told him, with my hands on my hips.

He crossed his arms across his chest and sulked. He was a little scraped up, but didn't have any real injuries. It could take us all day to _really_ injure each other, and I really didn't feel like spending time doing that.

His attitude was amusing, and I decided to exploit it. "If you'd like, I can tag out to Kid and he can finish kicking your…"

"That won't be necessary!" I heard from my right. Stein had rolled his chair over to us. He stood up, pushed his glasses up on his nose, and adjusted his stitched lab coat. "I'm calling an end to this. You've done enough damage to the courtyard these two days. The win is yours, Sai."

I sighed. "Thanks Professor Stein."

The three of us were joined by Soul and Kid at my left.

Black Star stood up, brushed himself off, and then smirked at me. "Since the fight's over, how about those left turns?" He asked, playing innocent.

I looked at Kid's face – it fell abruptly. His eyes grew large and he wandered away aimlessly.

"Kid…" Soul started to say.

"Heh. I win." Black Star stated defiantly, full of pride.

I looked back at Black Star, glaring.

"Screw you." Was the only response I could come up that wouldn't land me in Shinigami-sama's office.


	18. Chapter 17 Friendly Conglomeration, P1

_Chapter 17 – Friendly Conglomeration, Part 1 _

**Sai Summers**

It had been easy to gather an audience for the morning's fight.

Not so easy to get rid of said audience for the afternoon.

Instead of the nice, quiet afternoon in the city that Kid had made plans for – in the literal sense – it would become a random group of Shibusen people crammed into a local coffee joint.

After the fight, Kid pulled me aside and told me he had to make a stop and would meet up with me at the coffeehouse afterward.

I eyed him. "You're not planning on going in another direction because of this turning thing, are you?"

He seemed too relaxed for that to be the issue, but I felt the need to ask regardless.

Kid shook his head and smiled. "No, I have to make a stop at a store a couple blocks over. I'll just meet you there." He waved the issue off. Maybe it wasn't really important.

But I was a tad confused. "Eh, okay."

The discussion was short and to the point. It seemed unlike him. He left while I was still speaking with Sid. Since I had missed speaking with him yesterday, he rattled on about qualities that Meisters should have as people. I wasn't in the mood, but I was caught in the conversation, and Stein was hovering. Sid seemed to drone on, reminding me every so often about how he was as a man when he was alive.

I tried to be pleasant, but I only have so much patience. Especially today.

When I was finally released, Soul joined me. I couldn't get away from people today it seemed.

His brow was furrowed. "I saw Kid leave. Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "Oh, no, he said he had something to take care of and he would meet me at the coffeehouse in a bit."

Soul eyed me. "You probably don't even know where it is."

It was time to make up an excuse for going alone. "I did take a good look at the map earlier." I explained.

He didn't seem to be buying it. "Did you bring it with you?"

Darn it. "I left it at the apartment." I muttered.

Soul seemed mildly pleased, which I found disturbing. "Besides, this may be Shinigami-sama's town, but it's still dangerous for someone to be wandering alone by themselves. Especially if they don't know where they're going."

I sighed. Soul had caught me in a logical argument. He then decided to join us; I wasn't even given a chance to argue.

That I could handle though – he had told me at one point during the previous evening he planned to take the day off anyway, so it wasn't unexpected. The rest of the self-invitations came quickly. I could deal with Maka and Tsubaki decided to be there. They were people you could have a quiet, rational conversation with. Beyond that I started to have difficulties. Black Star tagged along, saying that he wanted to take some time away from studying. Tsubaki verified he _did_ actually study, so I had trouble arguing with that logic. Okay, as long as he wasn't obnoxious or start trouble, I wouldn't say anything negative about it. The same went for Patty; but generally speaking, it's difficult to keep her quiet in public – especially since Liz had opted to head out for a day of shopping, instead of joining us.

Blair had tagged along with Maka when she had left the apartment earlier in the morning; they had been at the library during the fight. Blair explained that she didn't want to return home and be by herself because it was boring, she claimed. Alright_, fine._ As long as she behaved herself, I could deal with her presence. I won't lie; a nice, _boring_ day was looking like something Iwould have enjoyed.

It was at that point the guest list got a little strange.

After the fight, Professor Stein had overheard a discussion between Kid and I regarding the coffeehouse, and invited himself. Literally, just said he was coming with us. That was severely awkward; there was no way I could refuse to let him join us, especially when he reminded me that he was my mentor at this point. It was sort of like _friendly_ blackmail. I assumed the real reason he chose to join us instead of returning to the Patchwork Lab was either _A) _He didn't feel like doing whatever work he was _supposed_ to be doing, or _B)_ He was lonely. With Stein, either or both seemed to be possibilities. Or maybe he just wanted to bother me. It seemed to be a favorite activity of the people at Shibusen.

On the way down into the city, our ragtag group ran into Spirit. Seeing Maka and Blair seemed to be enough for him to want to tag along, but I _did_ make a serious effort to get rid of him. I asked him why he wasn't heading over the Cabaret House, and he said there was no reason to go – his favorite people were already here. I lost that battle quickly. He then made a serious effort to be irritating towards me _directly._ Considering he probably knew I had never known my own father, he was playing his cards right if he was looking to be annoying. He pushed the subject a little too far in making the suggestion that he be _my_ father-figure; it was enough to get some creepy looks from Soul, and some angry words from Maka. I was kind of glad Kid hadn't joined us yet. It might have gotten even uglier.

Kid did join us right around the time our assembled party reached the coffeehouse. He grabbed my right arm and pulled me aside when the rest of the group went inside the humble, stone building. From the outside, it didn't appear to be any sort of franchise or chain store. More like a simple, local establishment.

There was mild confusion in his face. "What happened? I figured it was just going to be the two of us."

I sighed. "Everybody…kinda invited themselves."

He snorted a laugh. "You have trouble saying 'no' to people don't you?"

"Only to my family, friends, and people I can't escape from." I told him with a unintelligent grin.

He didn't seem particularly surprised. "I was half-expecting this anyway. I figured at least Soul was planning on showing up because I realized half-way to the store I never mentioned about the location of the coffeehouse." His thoughts seemed distant, and he seemed to be trying to remember something. "And…we…left the map at the apartment, didn't we?" He scratched the back of his head with his left hand.

I nodded. "Yeah. And that's what started the whole thing. "

Kid laughed. "Damn, he's more observant than I thought." He paused. "Oh, here. I have something for you." Kid dug in his left pants pocket and produced a small, black paper bag. It was folded to prevent its contents from spilling.

I took the bag from him. "What's this?"

He shrugged, and there was a slight smile on his face. "Just a token. I thought you might like them."

I opened the bag. The gift was a pair of fluffy, black and purple hair ribbons. Each had a round clasp to attach to your hair, and the material trailed down in a wavy pattern. The edges were stiff yet bendable, and a thin translucent fabric was stretched between them. It was hard to tell if they were black or purple.

Kid pulled on my right arm. "Come here.

He pulled me across the street to the front of a closed store front with a large front window. He released my arm when he knew I could see myself clearly. There was a bike rack to my right; he sat down on the section you lock the front wheel into, and held on the top bar with both hands.

I clipped the ribbons to each of my ponytails, and watched myself in the window's mirror-like finish. "I should pay you back for these. This is probably expensive material." I told him. I was a little sad at having to express that, but it seemed natural.

He shook his head. "They're a gift. I won't accept money for them."

I sighed. This was a hard subject for me to broach. "Then, will you do me a favor?" I looked over at him.

Kid's eyes were bright. "What's that?"

I had to be honest with him. "If you're going to buy me something, let me know ahead of time."

He was visibly confused. "Huh? It wouldn't be much a surprise gift if I told you ahead of time."

"Eh…I'm not used to people giving me anything, let alone random gifts." I explained. Embarrassment was starting to set in.

Kid let his head drop. "Did I offend you? That wasn't my intention."

I walked over to him and stood at his right. "No, it's just…I don't want you to think I'm looking for things. I'm well aware of your…_financial status." _The last words left a sour taste in my mouth.

He snuffed on a laugh and crossed his arms across his chest. "What would you like me to spend my money on then?" He stared at the pavement; maybe it was easier than looking at me.

"It's just…I don't want you to think I'm…" I stumbled on my words. "Looking for things in exchange for being around you."

Kid bit his lower lip. "You know what the ironic part of that argument is? I know a number of people who say I couldn't pay them enough to spend time with me outside of Shibusen."

"That's terrible." I whispered, and I hung my own head this time.

He looked back up at me. "I think what's more important is that people show their kindness through various methods. If you don't like my methods, we have a problem."

I shook my head. "Don't misunderstand me. I do understand your methods, and I'm not saying I would turn away your kindness. That's who you are. I just don't want you to think I'm some street rat that needs the prince to come and lift her out of poverty."

Kid turned away, giggling. "Heh, you are hardly a princess-in-training."

I was pretty sure there was an insult in that comment, and I punched him lightly in the right arm. "Hey now, I'm serious on this."

He sniffed again. "Alright. I understand." He paused, rocked forward on his heels and stood up. "So are you going to let me buy you a coffee?"

I gasped at him. "Were you listening the last five minutes?!"

Kid bowed slightly. "Yes, but I am under the distinct impression you left your wallet at home."

I padded my pants. They had no pockets, and as a result, no wallet. I hung my head abruptly. "Damn."

He smiled. "If it helps, I'll make sure its something plain. Nothing worthy of a princess."

"That's fine _Bean Pole Prince_." I tried to stifle my laughter.

"Ack…" He stared at me, and then sighed. "Damn Soul. I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"


	19. Chapter 18 Friendly Conglomeration, P2

_Chapter 18 – Friendly Conglomeration, Part 2_

**Sai Summers**

Soul was back at the front door of the coffeehouse with his upper half hanging out of the door, yelling in Kid and I's general direction. "Hey Sai, Stein wants to see you."

I looked at him with disappointment. "Can it wait?"

"I already asked for you." Soul shook his head. "He says no."

I sighed. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. "Fine. Tell him I'll be there in a moment."

***

Stein and I sat in a back corner of the coffeehouse. The walls were a dark green, and the wooden two-person table we sat at had a simple, black finish. I sat in a black wooden chair while he slouched in a dark-green half-booth seat opposite me.

The strange thing about the Professor was that he was _almost_ attractive. It wasn't the clothes he wore – they hung fine on him even with the cross-chest stitching. Maybe if he didn't have scar across his face. Eh, maybe it wasn't that, I debated. Maybe it was just the oversized flathead screw sticking out of the right side of his head. That was _surely_ attraction issue.

Or maybe because he came off as somewhat crazy, no matter how intelligent of a thing he said.

And he had a lot to say this time. But sadly none of it seriously crazy.

"I need to talk to you about Monday." He stated matter-of-factly.

I kept my head hung. "I figured as much."

Stein absentmindedly stirred a cup of black coffee in a white mug with a metal spoon; the spoon clinked against the cup every few moments.

His voice was even. "I feel bad for having to restrict you, but you can't accept anyone as a partner or take on any assignments until I've verified that you can attend them. I predict we can only send you on _anything_ that involved having other teams, that way the souls aren't lost."

That was a serious problem for my ego. "You want me to go on assignments in which I'll gain nothing?"

He let the spoon rest in the cup. "You have no other options at this point. Without knowing what the trigger for your soul capture ability is, neither of us have a choice. We don't want to raise suspicion that there's a Weapon who can't gather souls a Shibusen."

I leaned back in my chair. "I'm really that much of an embarrassment to the school, huh?"

He leaned back in the seat and watched his cup of coffee. "It's not that." He paused. "It's that we could have a social backlash against you. You're initial abilities are impressive, but you lack a _vital_ skill." He made a closed fist and shook it lightly. "Many will wonder why you were accepted in the first place." His voice trailed off as he was deep in thought.

I eyed the mug of coffee myself. "It took me _two years_ to gain Shinigami-sama's approval and the paperwork completed for my admittance. I'm not going to let rumors keep me from coming here. I've already given up a lot to be here."

Stein nodded. "I know, I know. But that's not the _back_ of the _backlash_ I'm talking about. I'm talking about a _serious_ _problem."_

I could feel the annoyance creeping in. "What 'serious problem?'"

Stein put his elbows on the table, crossed his arms, and put his hands on the opposite shoulders. "If you can't gather souls, but you have abilities…people may begin to suspect you as a witch. We have to make every effort to prevent any suspicion from arising." He whispered.

"I'm not a witch…" I muttered. "I can't believe anyone would assume that."

"I know that, and you know that, and everyone you know in this room knows that, but the general public and the rest of the student body _doesn't._ And…rumors spread fast. Better to give people no reason to start talking."

I could feel my voice rise in volume. "If people think I'm a witch then they're the ones who are ignorant; that shouldn't be my fault!"

Stein leaned forward pounded his right fist on the table. "It's not, but if something plants that idea in their heads you could be _immediately_ expelled under general suspicion! And that's the _best_ version of the problem! What if someone gets the idea in their head that you _are_ a witch, and decides to take matters into their own hands! You could be killed on sight!"

Tears weld up in my eyes and I held my eyes shut.

Stein's face and voice softened. "You don't have any idea of your own value do you?"

I sniffed, and watched the mug.

Stein relaxed back into his seat. "With both sets of abilities, you could easily become both a Death Scythe _and_ a Three Star Meister. You have the chance to be great. _Easily_ worthy of being a Shinigami's Weapon or an Elite Meister, but you've got to trust us." He gesticulated with his hands, trying to emphasize his conviction.

I looked at him through my burning eyes. "Us?" I asked curiously.

Stein gave me a crooked smile. "It was Shinigami-sama's idea to limit your school activities until we know more. I'm really just following through with his orders."

I eyed him with a crooked smile. "I don't think that kind of conviction comes from just following orders."

He started to stir his coffee again. "You're a lot smarter about people than I think those other people realize. You pick up peoples' emotions quickly. I bet we can use that ability."

My eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

He sank slightly in his seat. "Now if I just had some idea what to actually _do_ with the ability we'd be all set."

It was my turn to sink my seat. "I take it it's going to take some special planning."

"Not so much that as I don't know enough yet to figure out what to use as training. Which is for _me_…" He picked up the coffee cup with his right hand and took a sip. Stein made a face like it was too bitter, and set the mug back down. "…the real reason I want everything to be as normal as possible. I need you to buy me some time for me to research specific training methods for Independent Weapons. I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what I was doing this time. And I'll decide if any group assignments come up that you would be fit for as we go on."

I felt a little better knowing Stein had valid reasons for what he was planning. "Alright." I told him with a nod.

Stein leaned over the table, and looked at me over the top of his glasses. "So, will you do me a favor?"

I looked at him curiously. "Hmm?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Behave yourself. If you really are related to Evans, you probably attract trouble."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Professor, I'll behave."

"Hey now, I'm serious…"Stein started, but was cut off.

"If it helps, I'll try to keep her out of trouble." I heard from over my left shoulder. It was Kid's dark voice.

Stein looked up and over my head, and snorted a laugh. "Yeah, you're another one that attracts trouble. Shinigami or not, trouble seems to _follow_ you around."

Kid stepped to his right, and took a seat in a wooden chair at the table next to Stein and I's. He shrugged. "Everyone has to have hobbies. If I chose to collect trouble as you say, maybe I have my reasons."

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that made no sense to me.

Stein rolled his eyes and patted his legs with his hands. "Suit yourself." He slid out of the booth and stood at my right. "I will see you two on Monday, then." Stein gave a wave, and walked towards the front of the café at my back.

I sighed. That was one of the toughest conversations I had had since arriving in Death City.

Kid sat sideways in the chair, leaning on both its back and on the black table it was at. He eyed me with consternation. "Is everything alright? The conversation sounded like it got a bit heated."

I turned towards him in my seat. "Professor Stein's worried. I guess I can't blame him. This situation could get ugly if…" I shook my head. "…never mind, I shouldn't talk about it."

He bit his lip and looked down. "If this is about the soul capturing thing, Soul already mentioned it to me."

I shook my head in annoyance. "I swear, he's got such a big mouth. He'll tell anyone _anything_."

He half-smiled. "I'm glad he told me." Kid paused and inhaled noisily. "And in all seriousness, if you have a problem, or you need help getting out of trouble, let me know. I can _easily_ make sure no one bothers you." There was a look of pride on his face.

I giggled. "Thank you, but that sounds pretty damn creepy. People just start disappearing in your wake."

Kid tried to act innocent. "Well, I am Death." He stated like it was not a big deal to him.

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, be quiet. One of these days that joke will get old." I stuck my tongue out at him.

He grinned. "Only when you're dead."

I fell silent, and stared at him with wide eyes.

Kid blinked, and then his face fell. "Ah…that…was a _terrible_ thing to say. I can't believe I said that." He covered the left side of his face with his left hand.

I started to laugh. "Okay, well, I have one for _you_ then – you know how I know my life is a mess?"

He put his hand down and looked at me. "I'll bite. How do you know?" He asked nonchalantly.

I bit my lip. "Instead of laughing in the face of Death, it took the time to come laugh at me." I snorted a laugh at the end.

Kid pretended to take offense. "But you laughed in my face anyway!" His gold eyes twinkled, so it was hard to take him serious, even about death.

I put my head on the table and laughed to the point of the shakes. I decided that Death – and maybe even death – was funny, and that I was stressed beyond belief.

"Hey Sai!" Soul calling from the front of the shop. "Maka and I are going to take off in a minute or two."

I sat up and looked at Kid, but he avoided my gaze. "I think I'm going to go with them. I'm really tired." I then felt the need to apologize for trashing the plans he had outlined in such detail. "I'm sorry."

"Hey Sai! I didn't ask, you coming with us?" Soul yelled.

I turned towards the front of the shop and yelled back. "Yeah, I coming, gimme a minute!"

His voice was soft. "It's certainly not your fault. It's been a strange twenty-four hours, I must say. And…oh!" There was a look of surprise on his face, and he started to pat down his cargo pants. He seemed to find a pocket that he was looking for and pulled it open. There was the irritating sound of Velcro being pulled apart, and he dug in said pocket.

I eyed wearily. "Not another gift..." I mumbled.

He smiled. "No. Something you already own. Here, put out your hand."

I offered my right hand. In it he placed a jumble of black beads. They were warm from being in his pocket; a sharp contrast to how cold his hand felt.

I was immediately excited. "My _mala!_ Where do you find it? I was looking for it this morning but I couldn't find it."

"I found it this morning on the stairwell and thought it might be yours, but I forgot to mention it in all of the chaos." He told me quietly, with a slight smile.

"How did you know it was mine, anyway?" I asked him curiously.

Kid smiled and his eyes shined. "I _do_ know a little about religion. I figured it fight with your…abilities."

"Thank you. I'm glad you found it." I said, happily expressing my gratitude; I wound the long, circular strand of beads around my left wrist.

Kid's cheeks tinted pink, and he scratched the back of his head with his right hand. "It's not a problem. I'm happy to return them to you."

"Sai…." I heard Soul whining.

"Okay!" I told Kid. I patted my lap once with my hands, and then got to my feet. "Gotta go. He's disturbing the other customers."

I leaned over, put my hands on his shoulders, and gave him a peck of a kiss on the right cheek. I could feel Kid become statue-like under my hands. "Thanks again. I'll see you on Monday." I told him quietly, and ran to meet up with Soul at the front of the shop.

Soul eyed me with suspicion. "Didn't you say you'd stay out of trouble?" He asked with a touch of _faux_ venom in his voice.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're just jealous."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want my cousin kissing me?" He asked, holding open the front door to the coffeehouse. We wandered into the street and started the fifteen minute walk back to the apartment.

I rolled my eyes. "So remind me since I was gone for a while, when exactly did you become this much of an ass?" I asked snidely.

Soul laughed and rocked on his heels. "_You_ of all people should know better than to ask me that; people in our family are _born_ with this attitude, m'dear."


	20. Chapter 19 Pin a Little Death on Me

_Chapter 19 – Pin a Little Death on Me_

**Sai Summers**

**Sunday**

The rest of the weekend was a blur.

After being half-awake during the walk home, I managed to sleep from around two p.m. to early Sunday morning.

During the rest of Sunday I all but locked myself in my bedroom in the apartment organizing what few belongings I brought with me from Iceland. All of it fit into a half-dozen cardboard shipping boxes. I hadn't taken extreme care in packing most my things – which had been foolish considering how far they had had to travel – and most of my personal belongings were scattered about in the boxes. I had been in a considerable hurry to get out of Reykjavík. There's nothing like a school acceptance letter to a nice, warm place to make you throw everything in a box, and move from somewhere cold like Iceland as fast as possible.

In all of the disorder I found a photo album I had brought with me. It was a basic black leather album with white pages. It was the type with the spots to lay out the pictures and lay a sheet of plastic over them to keep them clean. Most of the pictures were eight to ten years old, with a few from the last two years. The older ones were from the time I spent living at Soul's house the first time, and younger ones from the more recent times I had gotten to spend with him and Maka.

There was only one picture of the blond-haired, blue-eyed priest from Iceland in the book. It was the two of us standing side-by-side at the airport to which I had flown into the day I arrived in Reykjavík. Justin had insisted on it. I wanted to rip it apart in rage, but I thought better of it – I'd have to clean up the mess it would make afterward.

As I flipped through I noticed two of the pages were stuck together. I managed to pry them apart, and I found a picture stuck loose in between them.

It was a picture of me and someone I hadn't seen in a very long time.

I flipped the photo over; the back read: _Edward and Sai, 2mnths._

The man's ruby eyes were bright, and his pale yellow hair shone in the midday sunlight. He wore the smile of a proud, new father. He wore a maroon jacket and tie; it looked like formal dress, like he had been at some event. There was a small white pin on his label, but it was turned and I couldn't make out what it represented. The baby he held was wrapped the white knit blanket and looked to be laughing when the picture was taken.

"A picture of Papa? Where did this picture come from?" I sighed. "Maybe mom put it in here during one of her 'good days.'"

Papa went missing three months later, and my mother never fully recovered from the shock. Her mental status started to break down at that point, and she started to treat everyone with suspicion. Like everyone was to blame for him going missing. Her suspicion was what landed me in Iceland.

Even now, Papa continues to be considered a missing person.

I moved around some of what was left in the box, and I found a basic wood picture frame. I pulled open the clips on the back, fit the picture of Papa and I in the frame and closed it back up. I set it on the floor next to me for the time being.

It was the only photo I would choose to leave out on my desk.

***

**Monday**

The outfit I had selected for school was simple, something I could put together most days with a short in-between wash. Shortened black pants, a white t-shirt that contoured snugly and the black suit coat Kid had given me were simple – and that was the way I wanted it. I could switch my shoes around; shoes were one of the few clothing items I had bothered investing in before coming to Shibusen because I knew I wouldn't want to wear my heavy winter boots in the Nevada heat. I opted for cork sandals with tie-ribbons today. I decided I would wear the ribbons Kid gave me in my hair while it was down, despite the fact that the material was more purple than black. I kept trying to claim to myself I didn't have an issue with them being a little off-colored from the rest of my ensemble.

It then occurred to me that I should probably stop caring so much about what I looked like. I didn't need to garner undesired attention.

That thought was quickly followed by the fact that I hadn't bothered to drag Soul out of bed yet. Maka had decided to leave that duty to me in the mornings, spending her time before lecture in the library.

I looked at the clock on the desk. It read 8:45 a.m.

Lecture started at nine. It was a twenty minute walk.

"Oh…crap…" I started, my voice gradually getting louder. "Soul!"

I threw open the door and bounded across the living to Soul's room. I didn't bother to knock and threw open the door.

"Soul! Get up! We're late!" I yelled at him.

Soul was already awake and half-sitting up, but Blair was sitting on his chest in her human form harassing him. She seemed to be wearing light purple lingerie to agitate him further.

"You!" I yelled at her, storming in the room. "Get out!" I kicked Blair in the rear and she landed with a thud on the floor. She meowed, shifted into her feline form, and made a run for the door.

"Oh, thank god…" Soul muttered, throwing him self back onto the bed. "Thanks."

I grabbed him by the front of his red and white shirt, pulling him half-up. "Get up! We're late!" I complained, shaking him.

He blinked. "Huh? What time is it…" Soul reached for his red metal alarm clock, picked it up and looked at it. "Huh, damn thing's broken I guess. Still says it's four-thirty in the morning." He whacked the side of it several times, but the time refused to reset. "There's no way we'll make it on time." He said with a sense of realization.

I released his shirt, and he flopped back onto the bed. I sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment.

It was not the best way to start out the week.

*

While looking at the assignment board between Stein's and Sid's lectures I had my first run in with a student I didn't know. A black haired young man with dark blue eyes approached me when I was looking at an assignment that Soul had signed up for next week.

"Hey! I saw you in Stein's lecture on Friday. I'm Jack." He offered his hand.

I shook his hand. "Hi Jack, nice to meet you. I'm Sai."

Jack grinned. "Oh yeah, _everyone_ knows your name. You're Soul Evan's cousin right?"

I almost laughed at the fact he was using Soul's family name. It made me remember he hated people mentioning it.

"Uh yeah, he's my second cousin." I told Jack with a nod.

"That's cool. You've got some _cool_ ability, too. I wish I could throw people like that." He expressed with a smile.

I always thought that it was the lamest of my abilities, but I gave him a nod anyway. "Thanks."

Jack looked past me and down the hall. "Uh hey…Shinigami-kun is staring at you." He whispered. "Is he, like, stalking you?"

I looked over my right shoulder. Kid was leaning against the wall under the stairs with his arms crossed against his chest, and was most certainly watching in my direction. The scowl on his face was anything but pleasant to look at

I turned back to Jack and muttered a _faux_ giggle. "Eh, heh. No, it's not like that." I scratched my head in nervousness.

Jack's eyes narrowed and he lowered his head. "If he's giving you a hard time my friends and I will take care of him for you." He lightly pounded his chest with his right fist.

I presumed Kid would probably decimate them if he was enraged, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Jack that.

"Oh no, don't worry about it, I will take care of it if a problem arises." I told him with a smile, waving the idea off.

He eyed me. "Man, he is _creepy_ though. If he wasn't Shinigami-sama's kid, there's no _way_ he would have been let in to Shibusen."

I was starting to realize people at Shibusen really didn't like Kid. It made me a bit sad, considering how hard he tried to be nice to people.

I shrugged "I think he's a nice guy; he just…_acts_ a little different."

"Well, he creeps _me_ out." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I gotta go, see you in class." He gave a wave and walked off to my right.

"Bye."

I looked over my other shoulder and noticed Kid approaching me.

"Great." I mumbled aloud. "Here we go."

He stood at my left. "People don't want to talk to me when you hover like that." I told me matter-of-factly.

Kid's face was tense. "Most of the people at this school are only looking for someone who can make them look good in a battle."

I looked up at him. "I don't think that's true, Kid."

"You haven't been here long enough to see it yet." He sighed. "Anyway, here." Kid started to dig into his jacket pocket.

I eyed Kid wearily. "I'm starting to worry about the random objects that keep coming out of your pockets."

"Oh hush." He muttered. "Here." He handed me a white and silver object.

It was a miniature version of Shinigami-sama's mask; it had a slight sheen and came complete with a pin backing.

I giggled. "Thank you." I pinned it to my label.

He shrugged. "I had it and I thought you might like it for that coat."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to act suspicious, "I'm surprised you'd let me pin something on only _one_ side of the coat."

He eyed me in mild irritation, bypassing my attempt at humor. "If I can handle my hair, I think I can deal with that pin."

"Mister Serious today, aren't we?" I snuffed.

Kid crossed his arms across his chest. "It's been one of those _serious_ days."

I scowled at him. "If you're going to throw a hissy fit, you could at least clue me in as to the _real_ reason why."

He exhaled loudly. "It's just all of the…people around you. You know that."

I could feel my frustration. "Stop being jealous, it's a misfit to the rest of your demeanor."

He sighed, and scratched his hair with his right hand. "Sorry." He muttered. "I know its not becoming of me."

I adjusted my jacket. "Yeah, so relax, okay? I'm following the professor's rules, anyway. Don't get involved with anyone that could expose my faults. But seriously Kid…" I waved my hand, trying to throw off the subject matter physically.

He looked away from me and at the floor.

My brow furrowed. "You're just upset that other _guys_ are talking to me, aren't you?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

Kid pursed his lips and continued to watch the floor.

I sighed. "Whatever. Let's just go." I took his right hand, stepped around him and started to pull him down the hall. "I don't feel like missing Sid's lecture again."

***

**Wednesday**

Kid's attitude towards the rest of the student body did not improve as the week went on. In fact, it grew worse. His comments became directed at certain students – usually about how they were unkempt, or social misfits. How they were just not good enough. He also started to follow me around between lectures. The other students seemed to be too afraid to approach me now, and I got a couple of surly looks from a few male students each day.

If Kid was out to chase away other suitors, he was succeeding.

***

**Friday**

Kid's attitude went from uncomfortable to down right irritating by Friday. He continued to follow me around, and glare at the rest of the students.

I had grown tired of the uncomfortable tension between us, and I finally cornered him Friday morning with regards to his attitude. It had to stop. It was hard to be angry with Kid, but it couldn't go on. No one would want to talk to me eventually out of fear of him, and it made me dislike him slightly.

"Why are you _still_ acting like this? People are starting to seriously consider that you're stalking me." I asked him, trying to emphasize a feeling of annoyance.

He shrugged. "You know I'm not stalking you. Who cares what they think?"

Now I was genuinely annoyed. "I care, Kid! And I'm sorry if care what other people think about me..." I was disappointed in myself for having to express it that way, but I couldn't figure out any better way to put it.

Kid sighed and stuffed his hands in his pant's pockets. "I like you…I'm sorry if that bothers you."

I cocked my head to the right. "That's not the problem, and I'm pretty sure you know that. And _you_ already know I like you, but you're going to have to put a little faith in me, okay?"

He half-smiled. Maybe telling him I liked him was all he had wanted to begin with. Maybe he had just been unable to tell me what he really wanted…

"Are you _sure_ you wanna get involved with her? She's kind of a loose cannon." A man yelled from down the hallway. It sounded like the voice of someone who was deaf, as it was unusually loud for the space.

_That voice._ A voice that grated on my eardrums.

But he couldn't be here. That voice should be in Iceland.

"Hold her back!" I could hear Soul yelling from an unknown location.

I knew that voice. It was _here,_ at Shibusen. It was coming from the other end of the hall. It came from a man in Christian church garb.

I looked at him, and he rage was instantaneous. I started to storm towards the man at end of the hall. _"You!_ You're dead meat Mister Priest!"

Kid grabbed me, put his arms around my shoulder, and held onto me; I struggled against him. "What's…what's your issue with Justin?" He demanded to know in my ear. "My Father called him here."

I continued to fight against Kid's grasp. "Justin abandoned me in the middle of freakin' nowhere to go join the damn _church!"_ I yelled in the blond-haired man's direction. I felt the need to emphasize where he had gone.

_"That's_ Justin? The guy that Soul mentioned?" He asked, more of himself than of me.

Justin walked down the hall and stood in front of Kid and me. I stopped struggling, but Kid didn't relax his grip.

Justin wore ear buds with Shinigami-sama's mask on them, but the music was loud enough for me to hear. He simply stared at me.

"That attitude is unbecoming of a lady." He said quietly. Or at least quiet for a man who couldn't hear anything.

I started to struggle again, and Kid's grasp was firm. "Screw being a lady! I'm gonna beat your face!"

Justin simply shook his head, and ignored my commentary. "It's nice to see you again, Shinigami-kun."

Since Justin was so close, I started to fight against Kid harder.

"I apologize…Justin…but could we do the formalities, later?" Kid huffed.

He smiled. "Oh, not a problem. I need to see Shinigami-sama, anyway. I'm sure I will be seeing you." Justin gave Kid a nod, turned around, and walked back down the way he had come.

The week ended on a sour note, and next week wasn't looking at being particularly good, either.


	21. Chapter 20 Spill the Coffee Beans

_Chapter 20 – Spill the (Coffee) Beans_

**Sai Summers**

Kid and I skipped lecture and ended up at the coffeehouse following my outburst in the hallway. I had a mug of black coffee in a white mug, but Kid went without anything. We sat at the same table Stein and I did on our previous trip here.

I stirred my coffee with a white plastic spoon. "Do you have any idea why he's here?" I asked quietly. I then left the spoon on the black wooden table.

Kid shook his head. "I haven't heard anything about any of the other Death Scythes being called in, so I'm assuming it's an assignment that would be best suited for him. Might not be anything important at all." He shrugged.

"I assumed Justin gave up his Shibusen ties when he entered the church." I sighed.

Kid cocked his head to the right. "You can't do that. Once you enter the Death Scythe status, you're a permanent member of my father's team." Kid eyed me. "You weren't aware of that?"

It was my turn to shrug. "No. But I guess if Shibusen is going to devote itself to your training, it makes sense."

"You make it sound like my father trains hunting dogs." Kid stated flatly.

I pushed my coffee cup to the left. "We are all hunting dogs on some level." I glanced at a group of Shibusen students I recognized, studying. "But I think some of us are better off being left back at the ranch. The _rebellious_ ones."

Kid scowled. "Are you insulting my father's decisions? He would never have let you in if you weren't what he was looking for in a Meister or Weapon."

I shook my head. "No, and that 'or' is part of my problem. What am I, Kid?" I looked at him slightly mockingly.

"I don't know." He started, looking somewhat dejected that he had no answer as of yet.

I watched my cup. "I'm insulting myself anyway, not Shinigami-sama." I told him, hanging my head. "Some of us don't want to be confined or be lead around. The ones who want to run free. Being here might be the best for me to learn, but I really don't know what I want in life yet – and I don't know if I can sit around here to wait and find out."

Kid crossed his arms across his chest. "Maybe that's exactly the reason he admitted you. He _must_ know about this. But what does this have to do with Justin?"

"Justin pretty much confined me at a remote location to 'improve' my abilities." I made quotation marks in the air at the idea of improvement. "Though more like contain the bad ones."

He chortled. "Iceland's not _that_ remote."

"I should have specified. I meant a remote place _in_ Iceland. I spent very little time in Reykjavík itself while I was with him. He was busy trying to suppress my Eater abilities out in the wilderness." I paused. "The 'bad' Eater abilities, I should say."

"Hey." I heard from above and behind me.

It was Soul. He leaned on the back of my chair with both arms.

I looked up. "Speak of the devil…"

"And he shall ask you to buy him a coffee." Soul finished, rocking on my chair.

I dug in my right jacket pocket, pulled out my wallet, and handed him a five dollar bill. "I want my change, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered, walking to the front counter. "Cheapskate." I heard him complain as he walked away.

"You're welcome and I heard that." I yelled back at him, while he ordered.

Kid redirected my attention back to him. "Anyway…"

I looked back at Kid. "Anyone born in our families who possess Weapon abilities is dubbed as having an 'Eater' ability. The item of consumption is usually souls, which makes sense. But sometimes things get fouled up genetically."

"Hence you not are able to consume souls."

"Not in my current state, like the Professor said. My Eater ability is the consumption of people in whole."

"But only Meisters." Kid reminded me. "And you've never used it."

"No one knows, and no one wants to take that chance. That equates to murder. And I don't know, but I think that was why Justin just opted to isolate me. If it is just Meisters, then he couldn't be consumed. The ability remained latent, which is the reason I was able to even apply to Shibusen. Justin _did_ help me improve my focus and my non-Eater ability techniques, even if I don't want to admit his influence. I need no Meister for them as a result. He knows _all_ of the tricks, for some reason. But…" My voice trailed off.

Kid appeared confused. "Then why do you hate him so much?"

"The dog analogy. I didn't get to have much of a life for the last five years. Imagine teaching a dog to do nothing but hunt. I don't know if I can continue to live such an existence again. Forget that, I don't _want_ to live like that again. Being with everyone here lightens my view of the world _so_ much. I don't even mind dealing with the problems I have at Shibusen." I paused, and then eyed Kid. "Like when a certain _someone_ becomes a little overbearing in public."

Kid coughed politely and I let it go.

I gesticulated with both hands, palms down. "And then he just…_left_…leaving his dog without any other sense of existence." I sighed. "He abruptly left around four and half years ago, and entered the Church of Iceland, I was told.

I hadn't seen him since then, before today. I had to make it without much help for those six months before I was able to get my papers approved for Shibusen. I was taken in by a local family, but they wanted me to move on as soon as possible. People in Iceland have trouble handling the Meister and Weapon's concepts. They still equate the abilities with witchcraft."

Kid was quick to either correct my mistake, or to try and confirm my life. "You said it took _two_ years before you were able to get in."

"I was denied entrance the first time, and then I had to wait a number of months to apply again. I don't know why I was denied the first time. I was accepted the second time, but being in Iceland made getting the entrance procedures done difficult and time-consuming. Took around six months for that to happen. If I hadn't had the support of Soul's side of the family, and Shinigami-sama aiding in the financial expenditures, I would still be stuck in Iceland right now."

Soul returned to our table, and set his mug and saucer down on mine end of mine and Kid's table. I stood and assisted him in pushing a second two-person table next to the one Kid and I sat at. He took a seat in the half-booth to Kid' right.

Soul stirred his coffee with a brown, plastic coffee stirrer and watched the mug. "What's the topic of conversation?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him."I'm surprised you're not going to ask about the outburst earlier."

Soul shook his head. "I don't have to. I _know_ why. Did you try and tell him?" He asked, nodding in Kid's direction."

"I tried, but it's something buried under a lot of other garbage, so I have trouble putting the emotions to words." I told him with a shrug.

"Tsk. Ms. Eloquent fails." He laid the stirrer on the table next to his mug. "I'm shocked." He giggled moronically.

I rolled my eyes at Soul. "Ha ha." I paused. "But in all seriousness, Kid, seeing Justin reminds me of being that _dog_, the one lead around in the choke collar. My mother once said on one of her 'good days' that my father used to rebel like that a lot when he was in school. Wanted to run free and see the world." I scowled. "And look what it got him."

"Where is he?" Kid asked, appearing curious.

I noticed he skipped asking about my mother, but I opted to avoid the issue myself.

I slouched in my seat. "No one knows. He's just listed as 'missing.' Maybe he ran away from this life too."

"What do you mean?" Kid looked confused.

"He was a Meister at Shibusen." I muttered. Soul looked up at me, and then returned his eyes to his mug quickly.

Kid looked genuinely concerned. "Have you asked my father? He might know something"

I looked out a nearby window; I decided to answer matter-of-factly. "No. It's not worth bothering him about. Papa's probably dead, anyway."

Kid looked mildly disgusted. "You don't sound too concerned about it."

"He disappeared when I was five months old, even if I found him…" I sighed. "Oh well…let's not talk about Papa anymore, okay?" I scratched my head in discomfort.

Kid nodded and seemed okay with letting it go for the moment. "Alright."

There was a moment of silence and both Soul and I drank from our mugs. It was Kid's turn to watch the pedestrians onside the window at my left.

Soul sat his mug down on the table with a clink. "Does Stein know about what happened with Justin? I'm sure he'll have a _lot_ to say about it."

There were foot steps behind me, but I didn't bother to look. It had been noisy in the coffeehouse for the last ten minutes or so.

I took a second drink, and then returned mine to the table as well. "I'm sure he will. I'm sure it'll be _all_ bad too." I looked up at Soul from the coffee cup.

The noise of footfalls stopped.

Soul's eyes met mine, moved to above my head, and then met mine again. Kid watched me with a grimace on his face.

I groaned, and then looked at both of them. "He's standing behind me, isn't he?"

Soul and Kid slowly nodded in sync.

I sighed. "Geez, I thought things like this only happened in ani…"

A heavy cloth-bound book smacked me on the top of the head, front or back cover down. Someone proceeded to grind the book into my skull by shifting it back and forth with both hands. I could feel my hair begin to stick to it from the static the book generated.

It was Stein, and he was none too happy with finding me at the coffeehouse. "So you're late for school, make a huge scene in the main hall, and now I find you _skipping_ school! A _shining_ example of a Meister you are!"

I squirmed in my seat trying to avoid the book. "Profess-ss-sor! Sorry! Sorry!"

He stopped grinding the book, and instead leaned on it, pushing it into my head. I could see his shadow cover my half of the table. "Didn't I specifically tell you not to make a scene?"

I hissed, and grabbed at Stein's lab coat sleeves. "I wasn't prepared for seeing him. A little warning would have been nice!"

Stein acted annoyed, but it didn't appear to be very serious – but he did go back to grinding the book for a moment. "You're asking _me_ for something! You're the one taking all of my time already!" He must have grown bored of harassing me with the book and I felt the weight lift from my head.

I sighed; I had no better response for him.

Stein pulled one of the black wooden chairs from a kitty-corner table, flipped it around, and sat it down at my right. He proceeded to sit in it backwards, but with it leaning against the table itself, he seemed unlikely to fall forward as was usual for him. He seemed to be frustrated, but I couldn't be particularly surprised about that.

He sighed. "In all seriousness if I _had_ known this was going to be such a serious problem with Justin, I would have warned you. I don't want you to fail to perform due to his influence."

I looked at Stein. I wasn't going to mince words on the subject. "Do you know why he's here? I'm coming to the conclusion there's some specific reason, but that no one knows the actual reason."

He cocked his head to his right. "Why don't you ask your boyfriend? I bet his father knows."

"I already asked K…" I cut myself off. _"Hey!_ Darn you, trying to trick me." I complained.

Soul snorted a laugh. "You walked into that one."

Kid's cheeks flushed red and he watched the table.

"Ha!" Stein grinned, and appeared pleased with himself. He smacked the table with his left hand. "But in all honesty, I don't know. I assume it's nothing important." He raised and lowered his shoulders.

I narrowed my eyes. "The fact that people are assuming worries me."

My idea seemed to hit Stein. "If I find out anything I will let you know, but keep things under wraps about you and Justin for now." Stein eyed Soul and Kid. "Who else knows?"

"Besides us? Just Maka. Soul and I had a talk with her about it when I first arrived back in the U.S. I was kind of a frazzled mess and she's perceptive."

Stein nodded. "I'll concur with that. Just try and keep this between the four of us, alright?"

I gave him a slight nod. "Yeah."

"'Yeah'? How about something I little more concrete sounding considering the last time I asked you to do something you failed within a week."

"Don't worry, Justin's the last person I want to discuss." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Except your father." Kid muttered, still looking scarlet-faced.

I stared at Kid. I wasn't sure if he was trying to upset me or not.

Stein made a sour face. "That's…we _will_ have to have a discussion about that."

Soul looked at Stein thoughtfully. "You don't _know_ something do you?"

He leaned against the back of the chair. "Not yet, but we might in the near future."

I pounded my right fist on the table. "Is _that_ why Justin's here?! Why is he getting involved in my family life?!"

"Relax. I told you, _I don't know._When I do, and if it involves Edward, I _will_ tell you. I promise."

I sighed. Everyone stared at the table in a moment of silence.

I broke the silence. "If it's alright with you Professor I'd like to have a civilized conversation with Justin. I need some answers from him on a few things."

Stein shifted in his seat. "I assumed that. Are you going to do it alone?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't have much to hide at this point, so it'll probably with a few of us there. Maybe at the apartment."

Soul looked up at me. "We can do it tomorrow. I think it'll be alright with Maka if he comes by." Soul looked at Kid. "I'm sure you're welcome as well."

Kid eyed me, and then lowered his eyes. "Thanks for including me. This seems to be a difficult issue for everyone to handle. If I can be of any assistance…"

I smiled at him. "Your support is enough."

Kid's face flushed again.

Stein made a gagging sound and rolled his eyes. "For my sanity, would you lovebirds stop making gooey eyes at each other?"

I scowled at him. "Oh, be quiet. You're ruining the mood."


	22. Chapter 21 Glaciated Reunion

_Chapter 21 – Glaciated Reunion_

**Death the Kid**

**Saturday**

I was able to time my arrival at the apartment a few minutes before the scheduled meeting time with Justin. If I was lucky this would be over quickly. Sai and I might actually have a chance to see each other outside of Shibusen with our gaggle of companions tagging along.

I don't tend to get lucky like that often. As such, it didn't seem rational pinning my hopes on it like I had the previous weekend.

I opted to wear all-white. It was a cool afternoon, so I selected a longer jacket, and woolen pants. Father says white makes me look imposing, and I wanted that. I needed to look like someone who was impressive and knew where they stood.

I knocked at the door lightly and Sai answered after only one knock. I wondered if she had been waiting for me.

Her clothes were simple. A white t-shirt and a black mini-skirt, with her lace-up platforms. And I would be lying it I didn't admit I preferred the skirt over her usual black pants. I did take a moment to notice that she wore the button I had given on her shirt. _Maybe she's starting to feel more comfortable with Shibusen,_ I debated.

"Hey, come in." Sai allowed me to step around her and into the room. "I like the white. It makes you look less intimidating."

I blinked, and scratched the back of my head with my right hand. "I'm not sure that's a good quality or not in this situation."

She showed a crooked smile. "You don't have to be anything this time. I do. Just being here is enough."

"You don't have to be anything to anyone other than you." I told her. It sounded both convoluted and more profound than I had expected.

"Thank you." She simply said, with a sad smile on her face.

There was a knock at the door, and I turned towards the sound.

"I'll get it." I told her. She gave me a nod, took a seat on the far couch, and crossed her legs. I tried to focus on answering the door instead of her. It was a simple task that I nearly failed.

On the second set of knocks I pulled open the front door. There was a blond haired, blue-eyed man in brown and white priestly robes standing in the hall.

"Justin, welcome." I told him flatly. If he upsets Sai, he was one of the last people I wanted to see, I decided.

Justin inhaled noisily, and then made a showing of exhaling. "Ah, Shinigami-kun. I guess I _shouldn't_ be surprised to see you, but alas I am."

As I stepped out of the way to allow Justin in, I tried to play up my importance in the situation. "I tend to be around here often nowadays."

He gave me a quick nod. "I am sure. And that is something I wanted to discuss with you."

I eyed him, but didn't get a chance to formulate a question. Justin took a seat on the couch the opposite of Sai, I leaned against the arm of Justin's couch at his left.

Sai didn't plan to waste time it seemed. She must be as anxious to have this done with as I was. "So why are you in the U.S., Justin? You didn't come here just to bother me, I assume." Sai questioned.

His answer was to the point. "You're not reason I came, true. I'm here on business for Shinigami-sama."

I watched his movements closely. He was calm, almost too calm. "What are you doing for my father?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even.

He glanced at me. "My sincerest apologies Shinigami-kun; I'm not at liberty to discuss it with anyone besides him."

I didn't like his answer; my brow furrowed.

Sai seemed to need answers, and didn't want to wait. "Are you here because of my father?"

He looked at her, looking mildly annoyed. "I _just_ said I'm not at liberty to discuss."

Sai eyed me, and then looked back at Justin. "Alright then, fine. If Shinigami-sama was your reason, and you've met with him, why are you still here? I admit to hoping I'd get a denial on the invitation today because you had to leave."

Justin chortled, but it appeared to be forced. "You appear to be anxious to be rid of me. You can't run away from the past that easily." He shifted in his seat.

She scowled at him. "I'm not running from anything; I just don't want you in my house, at my school, or bothering my friends."

"I believe you leaving Iceland abruptly _was_ just that – oh, by the way, you're welcome to stop running at this point in time and join the convent. I think even _you_ would be impressed with the_ Hallgrímskirkja." _(1)

"Stop trying to suck me into your cult, it makes me sick. _And_ says the man who left me to fend for myself on the _Langjökull." _(2)

I shifted in place. It felt like I was missing a key piece of information. "Why _did_ you leave her there? That seems to be a real issue perturbing Sai."

There was a strange sense of pride in Justin's blue eyes. "Because she needed to learn to control herself, she is a loose cannon as I said."

Sai shook her head. "Stop mocking him Justin, it's rude."

I knew I was missing something, but I played along. "I think she has good control."

Sai growled. "I hate this game. Tell him the truth, damnit." She demanded of Justin.

Justin stared her down, and then appeared to mock her. "What? You want me to tell him how _abnormal_ you are?"

As soon as I heard him say "abnormal" I knew the meeting wouldn't remain civilized for much longer. My mind wandered back to being that child who was berated in school for being different.

Sai looked to be getting frustrated with Justin's blatant indifference to her previous frustration. "He already knows that part! You're always like this, acting superior. Tell him why you left me there. Just answer the damn question."

He stared at her. "Your existence endangers people. He should know that. I left you there on the mountain because the people in the small towns were afraid of you. I went to join the church to repent for _both_ of our sins. We are _both_ not meant to exist."

I was shocked. "Did you leave her there to die?"

Justin ignored my question.

"Finally." Sai sighed, but her anger appeared to resurface. "Too bad the only person in danger is _you, _right this moment, Justin. Why are you still in Death City?"

All of the humor appeared to drain from Justin's face. "You want to know why I agreed to come to this little inquisition, as well? I came here him to warn him." He pointed in my direction. "About the unholy monster you are."

"You _still_ believe the stories?" Sai demanded to know, sitting upright suddenly. "Those people still believe _all_ Meisters and Weapons are witches!"

Justin pointed at her. "Your abilities are abnormal; you _are_ closer to being a witch than a Meister. You should repent as well."

I needed more information. "What stories?" I asked.

She was irate. _"Repent?!_ I've done nothing wrong!"

Sai took a moment, and then looked at me, calmer. "The stories that say that those who are Independent Weapons are the anomalous spawn of witches and Weapons."

I tried to keep my head cool; I leaned against the couch with arms now crossed. I wanted to direct some of the attacks at myself to alleviate Sai's burden. "By the way Justin, why should _you_ be allowed to judge what's normal or abnormal? Does your dogma give you that right? And are you going to call me _abnormal_ for being a Shinigami?"

The question didn't appear to faze him, and he didn't address me face-to-face. "You are splitting hairs on my point, Shinigami-kun."

I shook my head. "No, actually, I believe I'm quite on the mark with this point. You're calling her strange and wrong because she's different, just like those who you despise. Who gave _you_ the right to make that decision?"

Justin now looked at me, yet gesticulated with his right hand towards Sai. "She _is_ abnormal. Her abilities do not even fit within into the scheme of normal 'Eater' abilities that her family has. She is an outlier on the Soul Consumption charts. We don't know the depth of her _real_ abilities. So it is with that knowledge I believe you're being irrational in wanting to be so close to her."

I eyed Sai and then let my gaze return to Justin. "Don't point at her, it's rude. And I _know_ the story about the 'Eater' ability. She's never done anything wrong. You want to lock her up existence for something she's never done and that may never happen."

He sat forward in his seat and half-turned towards me. "And what if it _does?_ In all due respect, why are you risking your life to protect someone like her? You're a Meister _and_ the son of Shinigami-sama. You're of great value. Liking her may get you killed, and I would assume both you and your father are against that."

I was growing irate."Excuse me, 'someone like her'? Are you telling me even _liking_ her is wrong? She is still human, and I _choose_ to like her. It's my business, alone."

Justin leaned back and straightened his sleeves. "She may be 'human' but I'm saying you're needlessly endangering yourself for someone with a latent, monstrous nature. I'm trying to protect you as…"

I stepped in front of Justin and grabbed the front of his robe; I pulled him half-way up from the couch. "How _dare_ you." I told him venomously, cutting him off. "Just because you're a Man of God doesn't mean I won't put you in your place."

Justin simply looked at me, his voice even. "I could say the same for you, Shinigami-kun. You are notShinigami-sama, and I am a Man of the Church, so I _highly_ _suggest_ unhanding me."

Soul was suddenly – to me – standing at my right; he likely heard the commotion from his room. "Kid, let it go. He's got a big mouth."

I ignored Soul's suggestion and continued to stare down at the priest. "And I _highly_ _suggest_ you take it back."

Justin sighed, and he looked away from me. "I can't take back the truth. The church's theory states that a 'Meister Eater' is essentially a humanoid monster."

"Theory?! You and your _garbage_ _theories_ can go'to Hell." I told him with a snarl.

Sai joined me at the other couch, at my left. She started to pull on my jacket sleeve. "Kid, stop. He's just trying to upset you at this point."

I released his robe, and Justin sat back down. However, I continued to stand over him. "She's no monster! _You're the monster!_ You're invited into her home, and then demean her and me _both!_ Why did my father ever let someone like you _into_ Shibusen?!" I scratched my head with my left hand out of anger.

Justin's eyes narrowed. "I expected a more logical response from you on such a serious matter. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

I grabbed him again, roughly, yanking him upwards again. "You want to see my judgment?! I'll give you some _damn_ _judg…"_

"Kid! Kid, please, stop." Sai begged. "He won't change." She hung her head. "It's not worth it."

I could head Soul sigh. "Kid…let it go. His opinion of Sai won't change, even if you hit him." Soul confirmed. He then looked away, his face dark. "Trust me on that one." He muttered.

I looked at the scowl on Soul's face, knowing he himself had been here before. I stopped and released the robe. Justin sat down again and adjusted his collar. "In all honesty, I don't understand how you can be that way." I whispered. "She's _still_ a person, and was your _student."_

Justin looked up at me. "The truth can be a cruel mistress. The truth is she is a danger to the people of Shibusen." He said simply.

My pride was returning. "I've had enough of your preaching. I will find my own truth in this matter, and I'll decide for myself what is cruel and truth, without all of the canon and dogma." I explained matter-of-factly. "And my father decided what is a danger for our school."

He made a religious hand gesture, and looked down. "May Shinigami-sama forgive you for your ignorance."

I was in too much shock to even hit him; I stepped back from the couch and stuffed my hands in my pants' pockets. _Maybe I am ignorant in this, but I refuse to remain that way_, I decided.

There was a sound of wind whooshing and a hard smacking sound.

"Whoa!" I heard Soul exclaim.

I turned around. Sai had taken my place in front of Justin; the left side of his face was bright crimson at this point. Her voice was more like a growl. "How _dare_ you insult Kid and Shibusen like that…get out of my house!"

Justin stood, and Sai took a step to the right. He brushed his robes off, and glared at her. "Go back to Iceland; you're just endangering the people here."

She stared him done. "Go to Hell, you're just pissin' me off."

Justin snorted, whisked past Sai and I both, and let himself out of the apartment.

I looked at Sai, but she was looking at Soul. "This isn't over. He knows something, but he won't say it. This is just a cover for something. 'Cause I know he didn't come all of the way to the U.S. to berate me. Tough he does seem to enjoy it..." She watched the door for a moment. "I'll get it out of him, if I have to beat it out of him."

He gave her a nod, turned away, and wandered into the kitchen.

I turned to Sai, and ran my right hand through my hair. "For the life of me, I can't understand how you were able to stand that man for so long. He says he's just speaking the truth, but somehow it's _so_ much more negative than that. Maybe because it feels like he's a walking mouthpiece for such a backwards organization."

Sai sat down on the couch when Justin had been sitting. "He _is_ right about one thing – the truth can be cruel, but I think it can also heal us." She tried to smile. "As far as him as a person, I _was_ co-dependent on him for a good, long time. I needed him to survive, but he treated me as such. And with no where to go and no one I could turn to…I just learned to deal with it. I had no choice."

I had a realization. I began to realize how difficult it must be to deal with myself on top of her own issues. "I am sorry."

Sai cocked her head to the side. "Hmm? What's there to be sorry about? You didn't do anything." She chortled. "And it's over now. I won't go back to that."

I laughed darkly. "No, I'm sorry about _me._ I'm sure I don't make things easier on you after going through all of this." I sat down on the couch at her left, leaning forward on my knees.

She bit her lip, seemingly to prevent a giggle. "Your _issues,_ you mean? You have a good heart, and that's all that matters. You genuinely care about me, I can tell. And you make me laugh. But with the good comes the not-so-good, of course." She paused, and then looked confused. "Err, wait, I'm not sure that sounds respectful at all, sorry."

I could tell she was trying. "Thank you, but now I feel silly for making you comfort me when it should be the other way around." I told her with a half-smile.

Sai's face brightened. "And it's not like I sat there in Iceland and just took _whatever_ he threw at me. Besides, I'm _far_ too hard-headed to buy what he says at face-value." She knocked on the top of her head with her right fist. "Like you said, finding your own truth in the matter is important. I am doing that too. And now I have so many people positively supporting me, it makes me think he's just blowing smoke."

I leaned back against the couch. "I'll be blunt and ask you: what if he's not?"

Sai stared towards her bedroom door. "Shinigami-sama already has arrangements in place should something happen." She paused. "He also told me he wants me to concentrate on living my life instead of worrying about something he doesn't think will ever happen."

I stared at her. "Really…" I allowed my voice to trail off.

She looked at me and gave a wink. "But we all know he wouldn't let you be here if he was _really_ worried. You're _far_ too valuable." She exaggerated the words, and then stuck her tongue out at me.

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm starting to feel like an overpriced piece of art."

Sai grinned. "Well, death _is_ one of the major reasons art is made."

"I think that was supposed to be my line." I complained, rolling my eyes.

She giggled, and three things occurred to me:

I need to know why father trusted Justin so much, why he was _really_ here, and if Sai could be released from the abilities holding her life down.

* * *

(1) The major Lutheran church in Reykjavik.

(2) A glaciated area northeast of Reykjavik.


	23. Chapter 22 Heart of a Child

_Chapter 22 – Heart of a Child_

**Sai Summers**

Since the issue with Justin hadn't taken nearly as long as I expected, I was suddenly left with a half-day of free time.

And Kid planned to take advantage of it. He insisted we go out.

Kid insisted I looked fine, but I decided to change my clothes anyway. To be honest I just wanted to put on something that I considered easier to move in. The leather skirt was somewhat confining. I opted for a light cotton-terry cloth tube dress with a white ribbon and a butterfly. I decided I was too lazy to change my shoes, and luckly I remembered to grab a small black clutch bag to keep my wallet and house keys in, this time.

Kid stared at me when I returned from my bedroom. "You're going to get cold if you wear just that."

I mocked him. "Then you'll just have to lend me your coat."

He looked at me in genuine confusion.

"What? I'm serious." I eyed him in suspicion.

Then I had a thought. "Do you even _get_ cold?"

Kid snorted a laugh. "Of _course_ I get cold. Would I bother wearing a wool coat if I didn't?"

I raised my shoulders. "Well, I don't know! I was thinking maybe you just wear it for the look."

He held his chin with his right hand, and appeared to be contemplating that fact. "Well…that is a good point. It is a nice look on me…" Kid's mind appeared to wander away.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Eh, forget I asked."

***

We took turns trying to decide on an activity that involved neither counting the number of turns we took, or running into people we associated with. As a result we were left with few options. We eventually settled on a walk through the city square. After only a few minutes of walking we arrived at one of the city's fountain courtyards. The courtyard was circular and done in dark grey paving stones. In the center was a red and black fountain pool that was supplied water from a model of Shinigami-sama with his hands raised. It looked to be a complicated entanglement of pipes, but I assumed most of them were for sure. I was also glad it was even on both sides. After dealing with Justin, the last thing I could handle was Kid making a scene in the fountain.

The sound of water was missing though, as at least two dozen people languished on and around the various black wrought iron benches encircling the quad.

There was an ice cream stand to the left of one of the benches. I looked up at Kid. "Ooh, I'm in the mood for ice cream."

"Eh, okay. You need money?" He started to dig in his right pants pocket.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I remembered my wallet this time." I paused. "You want one?"

"No thank you." Kid shrugged. "I don't eat ice cream."

I was busy pulling out my wallet, so my answer was unfocused. "Oh? Sorry, didn't know."

He wasn't fazed. "Not a problem."

I purchased a bar of vanilla sherbet, and was handed a white and blue wrapper. I unwrapped the bar, and dropped the wrapper into the waste receptacle at the stand's right.

I couldn't help but giggle. It was white with black gumball eyes, and shaped like Shinigami-sama's mask, except with a wooden stick extending out from the bottom. "He really is _everywhere_, isn't he?" I stated aloud, turning over the bar to look at it.

Kid appeared less than amused by my realization.

I eyed him in suspicion. "What's the matter?"

He took a solid look around the circular courtyard, and then looked at me briefly. "Look around us." He quietly instructed.

I took a bite of the ice cream Shinigami-sama and noticed that several groups of people were obviously watching us. A few people looked at us over their shoulders and then chose to leave the courtyard.

"It's kinda like being a celebrity, isn't it, being his son?" I asked Kid, looking up at his stressed expression. I was trying to be thoughtful, but I appeared to be failing.

I watched Kid's brow furrow. "No; and let's go somewhere quieter." He stated flatly and started off to his right. His walk was brisk, and he appeared anxious to be away from the prying eyes of the citizens. Within a few strides he was across the courtyard and through a line of trees to my right.

The ice cream was no longer of interest to me, and I allowed it to join the wrapper in the trashcan. As it did I debated if I should give Kid a few moments to himself. I attempted to follow the path he had taken across the courtyard and up a nearby hill, but I realized I had lost sight of Kid after only a few moments.

***

After ten minutes of wandering around in the light forest, I decided I would just wait for Kid to find me. I located a hill overlooking the southeast end of the city and sat down. I unclipped my circular, glass necklace, and left it in the grass to my right. I laid down in the grass, and watched a cloud pass by overhead.

I heard footsteps in the grass behind me, and when I looked up Kid was standing above me upside down.

"There you are." He looked somewhat alarmed, but was gradually calming. "You want to lie on the grass?"

I blinked, and shielded my eyes from the sun with my right hand. "Yeah, it's dry, so why not?" I asked him.

There was obvious discomfort in Kid's face.

I shifted my hand and watched him. "Why are you making that face?"

He looked nervous, and scratched the back of his head. "Eh…you know, lying on the ground; it's not the _cleanest_ place."

I bit my lip and sighed. "Fine, then." I offered my backwards. "Give me a hand then."

Kid leaned over and offered his hand.

For a brief moment I debated about not doing it, but I decided I must be a glutton for punishment. I grabbed his hand and yanked him forward. Kid fell forward, but it looked like a controlled fall, and his clothes never hit the grass.

I narrowed my eyes, feeling disappointed. "Darn, you were expecting that."

He sat on his feet and heels, and then smiled. "Yeah, I've started to realize if you want something you tend to not give up so easily. Though why you want to get dirty, I'm not so sure."

I was feeling dejected. "Oh, be quiet." I sat up and pulled my knees half-way up, leaving my back to him.

I heard him chuckle. "I figured you'd know by now that's one of my issues."

There was a moment of silence between us, and I began to feel foolish. "I don't mean to pout. I'm just being childish." I looked over my left shoulder at him.

Kid exhaled noisily. "Considering the way you handled Justin earlier, you're hardly in the position to call yourself childish." He paused, and looked down. "You hit him when even I couldn't. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

I looked back over the hillside. "After being told you're weak for so long, you start to believe it, I guess." I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. "Even if you don't want to."

There was shuffling in the grass behind me. I could feel Kid kneel down at my back, and the warmth of the wool coat's right sleeve wound around my bare shoulders. With his left hand he unclipped the ribbon I had on my left side and held onto it behind my back. His hair brushed against my temple and I could feel his warm breath against my outer ear. "If _you're_ weak, then what am I?" He asked quietly. His velvet voice was anything but hopeful sounding.

I was in mild shock; no one had ever treated me this way. I was the proverbial 'putty in his hands' at that moment. Sadly, I had no answer for his question, so I simply held onto his arm with both hands.

Kid abruptly pulled away and stood up; and I tried to turn to my left. Kid held my head still, preventing me from seeing what he was contemplating. All I could tell was that he was bent at the waist and intently examining the left side of my head.

I tried to eye him. "Uh, what're you doing?"

Still bent over, he released my head and stepped to his left; this left him in front of me. He pushed on the top of my head with his right hand, preventing me from turning in place again. He then did a full circle around me and then returned to face me head-on. Without looking back, he took a step back and put his hands up in front of my face in the shape of the letter "L."

"Kid…" I started. "I'm not a model…"

"Ha! Found it." He announced. He reached into his right jacket pocket and pulled out the hair ribbon he had removed from my hair; he clipped it back to my head. He stood upright and wiped his hands against each other with a smacking sound. "Perfect."

I raised an eyebrow and watched him in silence. I couldn't come up with a good response.

A heavy wind blew over the hill and I shuddered.

"Here." Kid pulled off his wool over coat, flapped it out and over my head, and pulled it around my shoulders. With my arms crossed I pulled it around myself. The material was strangely soft for wool, and had the faint smell of the musk that I had started to equate with him.

He bent down, brushed off a section of the ground at my right, and sat down in the grass. "So what are your plans for the rest of the weekend?" Kid asked, looking at me briefly.

"I have to meet Stein here tomorrow. It's one of the reasons I wanted to come out here. I didn't know how to get here from the apartment, and I figured if I asked Soul tomorrow he'd just tag along for the session."

Kid seemed surprised. "You don't want him here during your training?"

I bit my lip. "It's not just him. I don't think I want anyone here. Self-consciousness, I guess."

His head bobbed. "Ah."

"What?"

He ran his right hand through his hair, smoothing it against his head. "I had contemplated coming by; but if it'll make you uncomfortable, I won't."

"I appreciate that." I paused. "It's nothing personal."

There was a moment of silence between us, and the wind kicked up for a moment. I didn't notice it nearly as much with his jacket on. I watched the wind blow his hair around his face, but Kid seemed stoic compared to the lightness I was feeling inside.

"Hey, Kid?" I asked gently.

His gaze remained straight ahead. "Hmm?"

I watched the grass. "Are you upset that I didn't want you to come to watch?"

He cocked his head to the right. "You know, I'm not sure, actually. I _was_ contemplating about that though."

I looked up at him in confusion. "Uh, what?"

He rolled his head to his left and watched me. "Maybe I just like being around you. So that felt like a rejection, I suppose. I'm not particularly used to that."

I couldn't help but laugh._ "Shinigami-kun_ gets _whatever_ he wants, hmm?"

Kid rolled his eyes.

"Besides, I'll tell you how badly beaten I was by the professor on Monday. He already told me he won't go easy on me." I told him, stretching out my right arm over my head.

He sat up straighter and adjusted his pure white tie. "Hmm. I might not want to see that after all. The last time I had to watch Professor Stein pummel someone, I ended up a Shibusen-enrolled student."

"Yeah, Soul told me about that." I told him with a nod.

Kid eyed me. "Should I inquire as to what else he's said about me?"

I straightened the edge of my dress and looked down, trying to hide a smile. "Probably not."


	24. Chapter 23 Kid Pro Quo

_Chapter 23 – Kid Pro Quo_

**Death the Kid **

**Sunday**

Sunday left me too much time free on my hands; and I suddenly did not have enough class work to keep me _legitimately_ busy.

This gave me time to think about what I didn't know about Sai. This is probably a dangerous occupation for someone like me, because I tend to lament on the unknown aspects – the things she wasn't readily apt to discuss with me.

As a result of my need-to-know-ness, I ended up at Shibusen's library by mid-morning. My curiosity had gotten the better of me. I pulled whatever I could easily ascertain on the Level One shelves involving Weapons' abilities involving staffs, Iceland's cities and its landscape.

There was nothing on Level 1 about Independent Weapons, so I ended up at the circulation desk. The clerk was an odd, mustached man name John, who had been working for my father for only a short time. I had never spoken with him personally, and he didn't recognize me. It was a nice change.

I coughed politely. "Hello, I'm looking for anything the library has on Independent Weapons."

The afro-hair-styled man gave me a quick nod and disappeared into the halls behind the desk. Remaining at the desk, I scanned the library while he prattled about in the back looking for a list of books related to the subject matter. I was lucky to have not run into anyone I knew at the moment; though I did garner a few looks from students I didn't recognize off-hand.

John returned after a few minutes with a piece of white scrap paper in his hand. "I have three books on Level 2, a book on Level 3, and a 'set of unbound documents' on Level 4."

Level 4 sounded interesting. "What's a 'set of unbound documents'?" I asked, trying to be casual about my interest in the least accessible documentation.

John scratched his chin. "Hmm. Could be scrolls, archaeological remains, paintings." He paused in apparent thought. "Or something as mundane as a collection of notes from a book that was never published. It completely depends on the material."

I had my answer. "I want everything you've mentioned, including whatever is on Level 4."

John blinked. "Alright, can I see your student id?"

I dug in my right jacket pocket and pulled out my id, housed in a light brown leather case. I held it up for him, and he eyed it.

"Hmm. I'm sorry, you're only a 1 Star Meister, I can only allow you access to what's on the main floor."

I flipped it over in my hand and his eyes widened.

John gave a slight bow and looked embarrassed. "Oh, I _do_ apologize Shinigami-kun! I'm afraid I didn't recognize you. I haven't been here that long."

I tried to play the situation down. "It's not a problem. Any idea how long it will take to get the materials?"

He seemed to calculate it in his head. "At least ten minutes I'd say because I have to go to Level 4. If you'd like, I can bring the materials out to the table you're working at."

"That's fine. I'm in that corner." I gestured to the back left corner of the library's main floor.

John bobbed his head and disappeared into the back, while I returned to my table.

It took John nearly twenty minutes to bring me what he had found in the other Levels, but the wait was worth it. The three books from Level 2 were essentially doctorial texts. One was called _The Mechanics of Independent Weapons's Weapons_; the second was titled _Psychology in Independent Weapons_; unfortunately, the third text for the level ended up being useless for my search – it was related to finding _independence as a Weapon_.

The book from Level 3 was eccentric, and the subject matter was somewhat over my head at the moment. The text was split into two books: the first half was_ A Physiological Study of Independent Weapons' Weapons and Bodies, and How They Differ from the Physiology of Standard Weapons._ The second half was dedicated to theories on how biological differences _in vitro_ created Independent Weapons. I set the Level 3 book aside. It wouldn't be of any use without having understood the other texts first.

I was disappointed in the Level 4 item at first. It was a loose collection of handwritten notes on yellowed-white paper – but they were un-translated, and I didn't recognize the language. I took the papers back to John at the desk.

He looked concerned. "Is something wrong, Shinigami-kun? Did I bring the wrong item?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Well, I actually can't tell. I can't read the language. Do you recognize it?" I handed the stack of loose papers to him.

John reached under the circulation desk and pulled out a pair of what I assumed to be reading glasses. He unfolded the dark purple frames and slipped them on his face. He adjusted them, and held up the papers I had handed him, in apparently examination.

"Well, I can tell you one thing right away. This isn't a Latin-based language, there's non-Latin and non-Greco-Roman characters. "

I tried to keep up with his reasoning. "Ah."

"It could be a Germanic language, but there are more than fifty modern languages in that group. And if the original notes are old, it could be something only a few are versed in. At that point we'd need to find someone who recognized the characters in this context. Somewhat of a lucky shot, I suppose." John's head bobbed side to side on his neck as he looked over the pages.

"Any idea who at least wrote out these notes? I presume them to be recent copies of some other documents." I was trying to be practical – anything I could get from them might help, even if I couldn't read them myself.

"Yeah, I don't suspect these notes are more than twenty-five or thirty years old." He paused and turned over the sheets again. "I can pull some of the records on the notes' acceptance into the library's codex, and that might tell us something about who submitted them."

I shifted on my heels; I was feeling impatient. "How long would that take?"

John pursed his lips. "I'd say you'd have to give me at least a few days, maybe a week to find the information. It would have been archived by now."

It was longer than I had expected. "Can you contact me when you have something?" I asked.

He nodded graciously. "Of course. Not a problem at all."

"Thank you." I gave him a wave and returned to the books and texts I could actually read.

I knew I could get some answers, but the questions plagued me: _where was the original text that was used as reference for those notes? What language were those notes in? And If only the _notes_ were in the library – and those being located on the top level – who had access to a text that was so important it wasn't _even_ in the library at this point? _

***

The rest of the day went quickly. I was barely aware of the noise around me, and only noticed it had gotten dark when I could no longer read without turning on a desk lamp.

Later in the evening, I head footfalls directly behind me. I had been lucky to have not been disturbed as of yet today, and this was a disappointment. I looked up briefly.

It was Stein. He circled around from behind me and ended across from me on the other side of the table. He pulls out the wooden chair sitting there, which then scraped cross the marble floor. Stein flipped it around, and proceeded to sit in it in reverse. I eyed him as he put his elbows on the back of the chair and crossed his arms across his chest and held shoulders. "You look busy, Kid-kun."

I wasn't prepared for him as a distraction to my work. "I am." I concurred with Stein with a flat tone of voice.

He cocked his head to the right. "Work for my lecture?"

I was starting to want him away from me. "No."

Stein lowered her head. "Does she know you're doing this?" He asked quietly.

I absentmindedly flipped through a text I had found on Level 1 called _Standard Weapons Versus Independent Weapons' Abilities_, trying to ignore him. "No, and I hope it'll stay that way."

Stein didn't appear to enjoy my indifference. "It's my responsibility to do this, you realize."

"I'm trying to find anything that might alleviate her problems. I can't see any reason I shouldn't assist in that." I told him, feeling on edge.

He pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Am I correct in assuming you're not just interested in fixing her or the mechanics of her abilities?"

"In fixing her, I have no interest. Her abilities _are_ fascinating though. I've learned quite a bit today." I paused, realizing how the previous statement sounded. "And how is it wrong for me to want her to not have the problems she has?"

His eyes narrowed in on me. "She hasn't made any motion at trying to change your behavior, right?"

I eyed him in suspicion. "No. Your point being?"

"Just checking." He paused. "Maybe it's because I tend to find that most people only go out of their way to do such things in exchange for something else."

"She likes me, isn't that enough of a reason?" I asked him venomously.

Stein held onto the back of the chair and rocked in his seat. "So she gives you attention, and you try and fix her? I'm not sure that's a fair moral exchange."

I slammed the book I was reading shut. "That's absurd! I'm not trying to fix her, I just don't want her to suffer needlessly. If I can do something, I will."

Stein leaned forward in his seat. "If you didn't want her to suffer then you'd be supporting her emotionally, instead of intrinsically."

I could feel myself being angry. _"You're_ the one treating her like a science project."

He smacked the top of the chair's back. "Because in this instance, _it's my job._ Last time I checked it was your job to be her boyfriend. And…"

"And what?" I eyed him in suspicion.

"Forget it. We'll just leave it at that." He nodded, which appeared to be more at himself than me.

Something _was_ bothering me, though. "I thought Sai was meeting you today. She said she was busy and that's one of the reasons I'm here."

Stein blinked. "It's 10:30 pm. We trained, and I sent her home hours ago."

I looked up at the clock shaped like my father's mask on the wall. I vaguely remembered turning on the lamp at the desk I had been sitting at, but it didn't seem to have been that long ago. "I guess I've been at this a lot longer than I expected to be." I rubbed my eyes from the strain of reading for so many hours.

"By the way." He whispered. "If you _are_ going to treat her as an experiment eventually, you should probably tell me now. I might let it go if you were upfront about it."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "I'm not; and that's severely ironic coming from you."

Stein chuckled, and looked surprised at his own words. "Yes, I suppose it is."


	25. Chapter 24 You Test Me

_Chapter 24 – You Test Me_

**Death the Kid / Sai Summers**

**Kid**

As soon as she saw me in the hall on Monday, I could sense she already knew what I had spent the previous day doing.

And she was obviously perturbed by it. "Did you have fun trying to find a cure for my apparent disease yesterday?"

"Darn Stein." I muttered, scratching the back of my head. "And I don't think of you as _diseased_, and that _wasn't_ my intention. I just wanted to know more."

"You know, you could have just asked." She expressed with a sigh.

I stuffed my hands in my pants pockets. "I figured that was inappropriate."

I appeared to be digging the hole deeper by trying to reason the situation. "So it's _more_ appropriate to go sneaking around looking up books on me? Thought you might find my mug shot in a textbook?"

"I wasn't looking to find you in a book; I was looking for anything that might assist you." I paused. "Why are you being asinine about this?"

"Asinine?! Did it ever occur to you that I might have already read a good portion of the books that have been written in recent years on the subject?"

That hasn't crossed my mind; I had been wrapped up in my own desire to know. "In all honesty, no it didn't."

"The answers aren't simple. Just like the questions aren't easily to decide on. Those books…" She looked angry at the thought.

There were footfalls to my left, and it garnered my attention for a moment.

It was Maka, who looked at the two of us curiously. "I'm surprised you two aren't studying."

I was feeling confused, and it was still so early in the day. "Studying for what?" I asked.

Her eyes widened. "There's an exam today."

There was alarm on Sai's face and she turned to address her. "What exam? In who's class?"

Soul came up the hall and stood next to her with a slouch. "Professor Stein's." He didn't seem to be nearly as tense by the idea as his cousin.

Sai's brow furrowed and she watched the floor for a moment. "Wait…so he _knew_ we skipped class, saw us _both_ over the weekend, and never bothered to mention the test." Sai stated flatly, and then shook in place. "Grr, that's so like him."

I tried to be thoughtful. "I guess, if I was in his position I wouldn't have, either. We _are_ the ones who neglected his lecture."

She looked up and scowled at me. "Your desire to play devil's advocate is _really_ not helping."

"What would you prefer I do?" I asked her in mild irritation. "Be reasonable."

"I don't need to be reasonable when it comes to school." She paused. "And why are you like this? We're probably going to botch that test."

I shrugged. "I'm not particularly worried. I am well versed in knowledge about souls as a Shinigami." I told her point-blank.

"Excuse me?" She asked me venomously.

I felt like a part of me was running on auto-pilot. "Like I said…"

Sai raised her shoulders. "I don't need you to repeat what you said…!"

I sighed. "I apologize. I'm not trying to upset you."

Stein walked up behind Sai, and ground a library book into the top of her head once again. "If you have time to _argue,_ you have time to be studying! I'm well aware at this point you had no idea about the examination."

Sai cringed. "Gaaahhh, professor. You didn't…"

Stein flopped the book a final time on top of her head, and ceased his torture of her with his reading material. "Get off to class, all of you. You're going to be late."

She eyed me in anger. "Gladly, Professor."

Sai was a dozen paces away before I realized I hadn't actually gotten a chance to ask her one of the things that had been plaguing my mind the last twelve hours. "Sai!" I yelled after her.

Sai stormed back and eyed me. "What now? Going to rub in your incredible powers of soul knowledge again?"

I sighed. "You know I'm not doing that." I paused. "In all seriousness, will you answer me just _one_ question?"

She rolled her eyes. "What? You want to do this now? After the last five minutes…" She pouted, and the exhaled noisily; she crossed her arms across her chest. After a moment, she gave up her pout. "Fine, which one?"

I rubbed my bottom of my chin in thought. "Weapon types seem to run through bloodlines. Why is someone from a family of scythes only able to produce a staff?"

Sai shrugged. "I have no answer for you on that one."

I had to ask the difficult question. "You don't have an answer, or you won't tell me?"

She looked at me thoughtfully. "I don't have an answer. It's not known at this point. And…"

"And what?" I asked curiously.

She half-smiled. "And you're making an assumption, but I'll leave that to you to figure out."

I just wanted an answer so the question would stop harassing me. "But the texts say…"

Sai's patience appeared to be running out. "Ignore the books! That's why I didn't want anyone to go looking for answers _in_ books." She gesticulated with her arms, waving them up and down.

"Sai…calm down. We're in the middle of the hall."

"That's it! I'm going to class." She stated, and stormed off in a huff.

Soul and Maka both watching me in consternation, and I adjusted my tie in anxiety. This was hardly what I considered a good start to the week.

***

**Sai**

I was _sure_ that I wasn't going to do well on the exam. And for some reason I had the impression Kid decided he needed to rub in the fact that he didn't even need to study for written tests. Even if it wasn't the real reason I was perturbed, I decided I would use that as my excuse if someone asked in the next few hours about the scowl on my face

Soul caught up to me in Stein's lecture. "You're probably not going to want to sit next to Kid."

I didn't feel like sitting next to him much anyway, but I decided to ask Soul regardless. "Why is that?"

Soul bit his lower lip. "Hmm, Kid and written exams don't exactly go well together."

I raised an eyebrow "Care to be a little more specific? He just went on about how he doesn't have issues with knowledge for written exams."

"Yeah, well, he might be right about the knowledge, but we'll just say he stresses pretty bad while trying to _take_ the exams."

I couldn't help but mock Kid's earlier statement. "So about his 'great powers of soul knowledge'?"

Soul rolled his eyes. "That doesn't do you much good if you can't _take_ the test."

"Huh?" I asked in confusion.

"You'll see." He stated with a chuckle.

I scowled at him. "Are you not telling me what the problem is on purpose?"

Soul flashed a toothy grin. "Maybe."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm starting to think you two are in cahoots today."

He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "To do what?"

I rolled my eyes. "To drive me crazy."

He chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you're _more_ than crazy enough, already."

"Jerk." I paused, wondering what he was referencing in this instance. "Why do you say that?"

He bowed his head slightly. "Only a crazy person would date Kid."

I rolled my eyes again at his comment. "I'm starting to think that…"

***

The test was almost as bad as I had expected. I straight-out didn't know some of the terms, with the rest of them being only vaguely familiar from being mentioned in the lectures I had actually attended.

Kid was not so lucky, and I was able to see what Soul meant about Kid having issues with exams. I ran into him outside of Stein's lecture, following the exam.

I sighed out upon meeting him, but I couldn't tell if it was from the exam, or running into Death himself. "I'm pretty sure I bombed that test." I stated flatly.

I then noticed he had a book tucked under this arm, but I was too bothered by him already today to start up a conversation that might involve what he _read_ in said book.

Kid ran his left hand over his hair. "I won't receive a score."

I knew what I was about to say was going to come off as snide. "Yeah, I presume passing out during the test made it a little tough to take."

He stared at me. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"No." I lied.

"Then why are you being crude this morning? What did I do?"

"You started it." I told him, knowing I was being immature.

Kid was visibly confused. "I don't even know what 'it,' is. And never meant to start _anything._ Is this one of your issues with being an Indep…"

I had no desire to listen to the rest of the sentence, and interrupted him. "Grr! That's it; I'm _done_ talking to you for the day!"

As it turned out, ironically, it was. For once Kid made no effort at trying to find me or induce me into conversation. And by the end of the day, I was depressed by it.

***

**Tuesday**

**Kid**

Sai refused to sit next to me in Stein's lecture the following day. There were a few muttered words from our friends about it, but I blocked out most of their questions by burying my frustrations into he books I was still consuming. The two of us were held over after the lecture to explain our poor performance on the exam.

Stein shuffled a selection of papers on the desk, and appeared to rearrange them in a different order. "Sai, because you fell just below the cut off, I'll give you a choice: You can retake the written exam, or you can do a practical."

I watched his shift her weight on her heels. With her upset with me, looking at her wearing the coat I had gifted her felt bizarre. "I'll take the practical. I want the experience." She replied.

"What about me, Professor?" I asked.

Stein didn't catch my eye. "You don't get a choice: you have to do both."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't mean to sound immature, but that hardly seems fair."

Stein leaned back in his chair; he folded his arms in front of him, finally looking up at me. "You passed out during the test; you didn't answer a single question. Why should I give you an option?"

I was feeling agitated by his assumptions. "That was _hardly_ on purpose." I paused, not wanting to do it, but feeling I had no choice if it was a matter of my grade. "And I hate to bring it up, but I'm under the impression you're giving her preferential treatment."

She whirled on me, eyes wide. "Excuse me? What's the matter with you this week?"

Stein's brow rutted at the question. "She actually _tried,_ and it's the same deal I made with _anyone else_ who I felt made an effort on the exam but fell just below the cut-off. I'm aware not everyone is written-test oriented." He paused, and appeared confused. He then adjusted his glasses on his face. "And why am I defending my teaching methods to a student?"

"I have no idea." I asked him flatly.

Stein appeared to have a case of mild shock at my blatant awareness of the situation, and turned to Sai. "Is he like this all of the time, and I missed it?" He asked Sai, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "No. I have no idea why he's been like this, this week."

I turned to her and narrowed my eyes. "I'm not any different than any other week."

"Yes you are!" She announced, but she seemed saddened by the thought.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." And in all seriousness, at the moment, I didn't.

She growled. "I mean, you…"

Stein coughed politely. "Excuse me, I _am_ still teaching here."

Sai turned back to him, and sighed. "Sorry, Professor."

He gave her a nod. "I will make the arrangements for the practical for the end of this week. I'll ask Shinigami-sama for a relatively easy assignment because it's the first time you'll be going out, Sai." He shuffled a selection of papers on the desk once again.

"That's fine." She stated flatly.

Stein relaxed in his seat, leaned back, and watched us. "And will you two _please_ do me a favor?"

Sai sighed. "What?"

Stein cocked his head to his right and dropped his shoulders. "If you're going to have lovers' quarrels, do it outside of school. My job is hard enough as it is."

***

Sai found me in the library later that afternoon. I wasn't one to hide, but I also wasn't sure I was ready to deal with her throwing another angry fit at me. I may be stoic, but I am hardly heartless when it comes to her.

She pulled out the chair across from me at the table I had taken up residence at, and sat down. It groaned as she pulled it across the tiled floor, and it alerted me to her presence – at which point I tried to not look up. From a stack of books I had set aside for the moment, she pulled out a thin blue book, and proceeded to flip through it.

The moments of silence ticked by. It was almost quiet enough for me to hear my own heartbeat in my ears. After several minutes, I could no longer stand the silence. It wasn't something I was used it. I finally decided to ask the question I couldn't bring myself to do this morning. "Why didn't you tell me about the pain? Why have you been hiding that part?" I asked, continuing to stare down at my book. Not that I was reading it, by this point.

She slouched in her chair. "The pain is a lot better now. It's been years since it's hurt to do those things."

I closed my book softly, leaving my hand on the cover. "Why didn't you trust me enough to bring that up?"

Sai continued to avoid my gaze. "It just never came up in conversation."

Part of me cringed at the memory. "I _watched_ you do those abilities…"

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Kid, seriously…" She paused and looked up at me. "Is _this_ what you've been stressed out about? You think I'm in pain from using my abilities as a…Weapon?"

I decided it was time to be frank. "Yes."

Her shoulders dropped. "Kid, come on…"

I then opted to flip through a Level 1 text on Weapon Types. It kept my hands busy. "I was upset that you didn't tell me. Can you blame me? I'm still working on winning your trust to begin with." I paused, realizing how I was sounding. "I'm not going to apologize for being upset at that."

She stood up from her seat, walked around the table and stood behind me. She put her arms around my shoulders and hugged me. I could feel my cheeks warm. I inhaled and caught the smell of a spicy perfume.

"Sai, people are likely watching." I whispered.

I felt her breath on my ear as she giggled. "So? People watch you all the time. Might as well give them something _nice_ to look at."

I could also feel my face and ears burning. "I…"

She sighed, and whispered quietly in my ear. "There's something you need to keep in mind. Most of those books are speculation. There's little evidence of cross-bloodline similarities because just like Regular Weapons, Independent Weapons have their familial differences. And not many families produce them. Outside of Justin and myself, I don't think I've met another one. So don't take much of what they say as honest rhetoric."

"That was a rather deep explanation." I told her quietly. "You want me to ignore what I have read, then?"

"No, I just want you to consider it all as theories by people who have probably never met someone like me."

I pursed my lips. "That may be difficult, there is _some_ evidence."

She exhaled. "Mediocre evidence. You could save yourself a lot of headache by just asking me the questions about it first."

I had to half-smile at the idea. "I think I can arrange that."

I heard her chuckle. "Since you got to ask a question earlier. I want one answer from _you."_

I was nervous at the idea, but I tried to play it down. "That's fine. What do you want to know?"

"Is it possible for you to die?" Her voice was light, despite the subject matter.

I was nearly overcome with dread at having to tell her the truth. "If you're asking me if I'm immortal, the answer is no."

She squeezed my shoulders. "Then will you do me a favor?"

I tried to turn in place, but her hold restricted me. "And that would be?"

"Be safe." She told me quietly.

I decided I should avoid being honest or egotistical at the moment. "I will. And…"

I could feel her relax. "And what?" She asked.

"I'm far more worried about you." I expressed simply.

Sai gave me no response, and I debated it she wanted to avoid the issue; she leaned over my left shoulder. "So why are you doodling letters with _umlauts, _by the way?"

I looked down at a notebook that lay open in front of me. "What?"

Sai unwrapped her left arm from my shoulders and pointed down at the notebook. "The 'o' and the 'u' with the dots above them. Those dots are called _umlauts."_

I raised an eyebrow, but I couldn't make direct eye contact with her while she stood behind me. "You recognize these characters?"

She leaned out and looked at my face. "Sure, they're found in several Germanic languages. Icelandic has them."

I hadn't considered her as having much foreign language skills. "Hmm. I found them in some interesting notes while I was looking yesterday."

"What's so interesting about them?" She asked, seeming to be curious.

The truth hurt. "I can't read them."

Sai giggled. "Uh…so I take it it's the fact that you can't read them that's interesting."

I rolled my ideas at the idea; I was quite sure she was mocking me. "To an extent. I'll walk up to the desk I see if I can get them back for the moment. If you recognize _those_ characters, maybe you can read them."

She stepped back from me, and unwrapped her arms from me. I noticed the warmth disappear; a part of me missed it, but the rest was feeling relief from the unsettling – but likely unfounded – embarrassment.

Sai rounded the table and returned to her seat. "Alright, I'll take a look."

I fetched the documents from the desk. When I returned I handed them to Sai. She took a few moments to look over them, flipping from page to page.

"Well?" I asked, hoping for an easy answer.

She shook her head. "Sorry, I won't be of much help. I recognize some of the characters but it's not something I can really _read."_

"But we can narrow it down to a language associated with Icelandic."

Sai dropped her shoulders. "That's a _maybe. _A lot of the Germanic languages look similar. And even we could do that, it would still be one of more than a dozen languages…and…"

"And what?" I asked, trying to tone down my anxiousness.

She appeared thoughtful. "There's a saying in Iceland that the people of the island can read the old texts without much assistance because the language hasn't changed that much. I am picking up a similar word or two, but not enough to make it a good match."

It didn't sound like a helping saying in this situation. "So I take it this isn't a version of Old Icelandic."

"That's a pretty solid bet, but it could be related, still. Maybe a Nordic language since _some_ of it looks at least readable to me."

I sorted through some of the books I had laid out in stacks. When I decided on which book I required, I rearranged the stacks' numbers so they remained the same. "Here. This might be of some assistance."

It was _A History of the Indo-Germanic Language Families. _I opened it, flipped it to a page I had found and marked earlier, and turned the book around to have it face Sai. "Look at this chart." I pointed at the text.

She leaned forward and read a caption below a black and white chart. "'The Germanic languages are some 2500 hundred years old, and appear to be descended from a language commonly referred to as Proto-Germanic.'" She paused and sat back in her seat. "The language will depend on how old the text was."

"The age is still an issue. John is still working on that."

She cocked her head to her right. "Who John?"

I gestured over my left shoulder, at the desk behind me. "The Circulation Desk clerk. I had him do some looking into this."

She looked as dejected as I had been originally. "I take it he wasn't able to read them, either?"

I shook my head. "No, in fact you've given me more information in the last five minutes on them than he could after studying them for some time. He said the best he could do was to try and locate the original admittance information of the notes into the library's codex. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll have something about the language on it."

She looked somewhat dejected. "Not that we'll be able to read it from that."

My shoulders dropped. "Unfortunately. If it's old as I think it is, we'll have to find someone who knows it or can translate it."

Her brow wrinkled. "Maybe Justin would recognize some of it."

I was confused, and looked up at her. "Why would Justin recognize it?"

She shrugged. "He's kind of a foreign language buff. But there are no guarantees, and we would _still_ have to ask him."

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure I want to know bad enough to ask him."

"I think you're lying." She stated with a chuckle.

She had my mindset pegged. "I probably am."

"Uh…."

I waved off my attempt at being humorous and returned to making notes in my notebook. "Don't worry about it. I'll ask him myself."

"Alright then, because I'm not going anywhere _near_ him with this subject matter." She stated with a chuckle.

I looked at her, feeling perplexed. "Why is that?"

She looked up and to the right. "Because he'll talk your ear off, as they say."

I mocked her, but for good reason. "I'm _far_ more concerned that I may have the urge to rip his face from his frame, as they say."

She giggled. "Ah, aren't we the romantic?"

I tried to hide a smile, but I assumed I failed. "Always."

There was a moment of silence.

"Want to know something ironic?" Sai asked suddenly.

I didn't look up from my work. "Hmm?"

"I really didn't want to pick the practical." She stated quietly.

At this I did look up, and raised an eyebrow at her. "Then why did you?"

She bit her lip. "Because I wanted to see you fight." She paused. "Is that wrong of me?"

"Yes, because I don't consider myself to be that impressive." I told her with a nod.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "We'll see."


	26. Chapter 25 Harbinger of Horrors, P1

_Chapter 25 – Harbinger of Horrors, Part 1_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Sai**

Kid and I were held over again following lecture on Thursday, but under better circumstances this time.

Stein was shuffling papers on his desk. It seemed to be a favorite activity of his for some reason. "There have been reports of unusual activity at a factory recently, so I'm assigning the two of you to look into it.

There was concern on Kid's face. "What do you mean by 'unusual activity'?"

He leaned on the desk, on top of his work. "Three workers have gone missing after visiting the factory, and several that returned, have begun to appear _disturbed."_

"Disturbed, how?" I asked. I didn't really have the desire to deal with _more_ people classified as disturbed.

Stein lowered his voice. "Mental instability. It appears to be spreading through the people who have come into contact with the location."

I eyed Kid, and then looked back at Stein. "How does a factory cause people to become crazy?"

Stein's eyes narrowed. "There's a good chance that someone's controlling the factory and spreading this instability _through_ it. Maybe the factory itself is a catalyst for it. A few people have looked into it, but most won't get near the place. Since the local people are afraid to go near it, Shibusen's going to look into what's causing the problems."

The idea of the insanity worried me. Justin's words still rung in my ears from the previous week. "Who's to say it won't drive us crazy?"

He leaned back in his chair. "I can't say that it _won't,_ but I picked you two because you're the _least_ human in characteristics. I'm hoping that will be enough of a difference to prevent you from having full-blown exposure to the instability."

"Aww, now_ I'm_ not human either." I whined, trying to sound as _faux_ as possible.

Kid took it seriously. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"Kid, I was…_kidding."_ I tried to restrain a laugh at the moronic nature of the comment, but I struggled. I stared at the ground and dropped my shoulders.

Stein sighed. "You know, I'm starting to feel a sick sense of irony in this."

I sniffed and looked up at him. "The irony being?"

He cocked his head to his right. "The irony being, that you two are probably the most _unstable_ people I've _ever_ met."

"Hey now…" I started.

"I'm not sure if this is the time Sai…" Kid started, looking at me thoughtfully.

Stein was showing signs of losing his patience already, and I wasn't even trying to do it on purpose this time. "Would you two just get _going?_ This assignment has been on Shinigami-sama's list for a while, and people have been killed. We can't waste much more time on this one. And…" He sighed, and let his voice trail off.

"And what…?" I asked.

He rubbed his face with his hands. "Nothing. I get _such_ a headache from you two. Makes _me_ feel a little unstable."

I couldn't restrain the laughter anymore and snorted. "Thanks. I'll remember that for the next time I'm arranging to drive you into madness." I told him.

*******

**Kid**

I am _hardly_ a fan of disorganization. Full blown chaos bothers me even more.

And this place was the _epitome_ of it.

"So where exactly _is_ the factory? All I see if a bunch of boxes and ducts stuck every which way." Asked Sai, as we stood at the top of an overlooking hill.

In the center was a conglomeration of what looked-like buildings and ductwork, with smoke billowing out from the rear. It was surrounded by a close circle of disorganized shipping crates and movable factory equipment, with a second circle of the same set apart from that. The occasional lift equipment or small crate was scattered about between the two rings. There was even a half-sized blue forklift – which was parked inconveniently on its side in between.

I scratched the back of my head; not even I could easily tell what was what here. "I presume it's the large building group in the center."

Liz leaned on Sai's shoulder. "This place gives me the creeps." Liz complained.

"There is totally something weird about it." Sai concurred.

"Hey look, I'm on television!" I heard Patty exclaim from my right.

She was waving and dancing in front of an oversized video camera on a tripod.

Liz was watching her as well, and her shoulders sank. "Uh, Patty, I think that's a security camera."

"It is?" Patty's voice sank a little, but she continued to wave at it.

I stepped around the girls, moved Patty to the left by the shoulders, and stood in front of the camera. "Let me see that."

The head swiveled upwards and aimed the lens at my face. I stepped to the right, and then back to the left, and it followed appropriately.

"That's weird." Sai stated. "Shouldn't it be stationary unless someone's controlling it?"

That seemed like a logical conclusion. "It _could_ be motion activated, but the fact that it moved up to my head is odd. Like it knows where to aim."

Sai walked to the back of the camera and examined the cabling in the back. "This thing seems kind of archaic for that kind of technology." She looked up at me from the back of the camera. "And would you be surprised if we were being watched?"

I had to be honest. "No. It's just unfortunate."

Sai stared at the back of the camera, and put her right arm behind her back. There was a flash from behind her, and she brought her right arm forward in a slashing motion. In her hand was a flat circle of metal, about a foot wide. She held it in the middle with a black bar at its diameter. It was patterned on ring with the black and red saw tooth pattern. She pulled the cords at the back of the camera down with her left hand, forcing them taunt. Sai slashed the ring across the back of the camera, and sparks shot up.

I raised an eyebrow. "Sai?"

She stood up and stretched, pointing the metal ring safely away from her head. "I don't like being watched. Can we go now?"

"You probably could have turned it off." I told her, playing devil's advocate once again.

She took it better this time. Sai grinned and shrugged. "Probably. But you've got to admit that will make an impression on who's ever watching us."

She was carefree even in the moment, and it helped alleviate my own anxiety a bit. However, my anxiety in this instance – yet still unknown to me – was well-founded.

***

We circled the outer wall of the most external wall of assorted shipping debris without finding a proper entrance. We returned to the supposed front of the complex, and debated about our options.

"So now what, there's no real entrance." Sai asked me, apparently assuming I had more answers than she did at the moment. Unfortunately, this was incorrect.

There was a rustling noise from the wall and it garnered our attention.

Patty had started to pull on a crate, and it fell out of the wall; it exposed a narrow hole through the wall of chaos. "Whoops…I broke it." She exclaimed with a giggle.

"So is this where we going in?" Liz asked, examining the hole.

"Unless you want to walk around again." Sai questioned, dropping her shoulders.

"No thanks, the sooner we leave, the happier I am." She concurred.

This wasn't going to suffice for me. "It's not even a real entrance."

Sai looked back at me. "I doubt there is one at this point. You saw the way this place looks." She paused. "And we've already been looking for an hour at least."

I crossed my arms across my chest and stared at the ground. I tapped my right foot in nervousness. I knew this was going to be unpleasant.

Sai watched my nervousness in pity. "Kid? What's the matter?"

I was growing more anxious. "I…I can't bring myself to climb around in it like that. It'll be filthy."

Liz sighed, and her shoulders dropped. "I should have expected this…"

"Kid, come on, let's just go, so we can go home." Sai begged. "I don't want to be here."

I stood stoic and silent, watching the ground. I debated about how to handle the situation.

There was a moment of silence, broken by a light scrapping noise.

I started to look up, and suddenly I was pelted with dust, dirt, and small pebbles from the dirt. Sai had made an obvious point of dirtying me so I'd have no excuse.

"Hey! Come back here!" I yelled at her, waving a fist.

She was already out of sight, having ducked through the wall.

Patty broke out into laughter, and Liz snorted. "You deserved that."

"Look at me…" I whined, brushing myself off.

"Let's go after her, Kid." Liz stated flatly, half-way into the hole already.

I was still agitated about my coat and hair, and had no reply for her demand.

Liz removed herself from the hole and stood in front of me. "What's more important _this_ time, your issues or her being safe?"

I stopped fidgeting and looked at her. "That's an unfair question."

She stomped her foot in displeasure. "Is it? You're the one throwing a hissy fit while she's running around in danger."

I tried to shrug it off for the moment. "I'm sure it's not nearly as bad as the Professor said…"

Liz grabbed the labels of my jacket and shook me. "Do you _really_ want to find that out the hard way!?"

I looked to the side of her, my outlook subdued. "Not particularly, but I'm not seeing another option at this point."

She sighed and looked dejected. "Sometimes you make me just sad, you know that?"

I sighed, knowing what she meant. There were times I made myself that way as well.

***

**Sai**

I wandered around the courtyard looking for an entrance through the inner wall.

I wasn't having any luck. It was even more compacted than the outer wall.

After some time here was a rustling sound in the dirt behind me, and I flipped around.

"Oh hey, you found a way in."

Kid was pointing the Thompson sisters' gun forms at me.

I dropped back a step and tripped on a rock behind my left foot. "Hey, Kid, come on now….I _know_ this place is strange but…"

Kid released a pair of shots, and a shipping crate to the right of me exploded in the wall. Shards of wood fluttered in the air. His eyes were wide, as if he was completely focused on the fight.

Even if it _was_ Kid, I was taking a chance by standing here. He could be lethal at close range, and he seemed to lack reason at the moment. It was a deadly combination and I had a serious problem. I likely couldn't outrun him, and the walls were too irregular to climb. He would end up chasing me in circles, so I had a choice to make: fight defensive or offensive. If he came after me, I would have to fight back eventually, anyway.

He shot again, and the bullets ricocheted off of a section of metal ductwork, ringing in the quiet.

I tossed out the metal halo again, but stuck it on the end of a black staff this time. It would give me a little more distance between him and I, but I couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't hit me first. And with him wielding guns, distance was not an issue for his side.

I did have one piece of information that I thought would help. I ran at his left, and I brought the staff and chakra up towards his face, slicing a part of his hair. Whips of hair fluttered in the breeze.

Nothing. No response from him.

Kid charged at me, shoved me back with his arms, and threw me into a shipping crate on the external wall. He was far faster than me, and there was no way I could get away. He pinned me down by the barrels of the guns, which prevented me from pushing back. The force was cutting down on my ability to breathe, and I dropped my weapon; it shimmered out of existence.

There was something odd, though. There was no musky smell.

It wasn't Kid. It only looked like him; it was his doppelganger.

In a frightening moment I realized he was nothing more than a psychopomp, here a collector of souls for the otherworld. This was Death's _real_ purpose.

_This_ was what was killing people. You saw things…people who you _knew._ It tricked people into thinking the thing in front of them was someone you knew. But it stripped everything from them that made them human-like. And if that person had the will or ability to kill…

The pair of guns was buried in the center of my abdomen.

_He's going to kill me,_ I realized. _If he pulls the trigger, I'm dead._

I inhaled, and screamed Kid's name, hoping he might hear.

The barrels ejected, and there was darkness.


	27. Chapter 26 Harbinger of Horrors, P2

_Chapter 26 – Harbinger of Horrors, Part 2_

**Death the Kid**

"What was that?" I heard Liz ask, her Weapon form's voice in my right ear.

The sound of the gunshots perplexed me. "That…sounds like _us,_ actually." I muttered.

Patty giggled. "But that's not possible. We're right here!"

"Well I know that, but…" It was kind of hard to know anything here, but I was starting to feel uneasy. "Sai! Where are you?!" I yelled.

There was nothing but silence. Any sound would have been welcomed at this point.

"Do you think she found a way inside?" Liz questioned.

I ran my eyes over the inner wall of debris. "Hmm. Maybe, but looking at this, I'm doubting it. The mess is even more compact on this wall." I paused. "And we only got this far by accident."

Patty giggled, apparently at the idea of her curiosity being an "accident."

The sisters and I covered about half the circle when I noticed a broken crate in the pathway. I knelt down and examined it.

"What's the matter, Kid?" Liz questioned.

I turned part of it over using Liz's Weapon form. "This crate…looks like it's been shot; it sort of…_exploded_ from the force."

There was concern in her voice. "That doesn't sound good, Kid. Someone's got a gun, and it's besides us."

"Hmm." Was Patty's response, her voice serious. "That sounds bad."

"It might be." Muttered Liz, more to her sister than to I.

I kicked the blown-apart crate against the inner wall, and continued walking. We covered another arc of the circle before anything else garnered my attention.

At one point, the ground was a muddy brown, and my boot sunk in slightly. "Ah, that's gross…" I started, picking up my foot. It was then I realized the ground was soaked with blood; it bubbled up when I squished in it.

My voice caught in my throat; I turned and my eyes followed the trail of blood behind me, and to the right.

A black ribbon fluttered from the ground. The ground was stained a muddy brown and there was a pile of black and white clothing.

All I could do was stand and stare.

My hands warmed and the sisters returned to their human forms. My hands were still cupped in trigger position out of shock.

"Sai!" Yelled Liz, running over to her. She flipped Sai over and I could see the damage. There were two major impact wounds on her abdomen, and her blood was running out and over the ground.

I sunk to my knees in what dry dirt was available in the area. I couldn't help by stare at the damage; I couldn't bring myself to look away.

Sai was a bloody mess; and I hadn't been there to try and prevent it.

My thoughts were harsh: _She's like this because of me. I let her go alone. What do I do now?_

Liz shook my shoulder. "Kid! Pull it together. We've got to get her back to the school."

"She's dead." I responded robotically.

She was trying to reach me, but the fog of shock was thick. "What? No, she's not dead. Come on, get your head together." Liz patted me roughly on the right arm.

I thought I nodded, but I wasn't sure I was actually responding.

_Those noises…the gun shots…did I shoot her? Was that me?_ I wondered.

I grabbed my hair, doubling over. "It was me…those gun shots…it was _me."_

Liz grabbed my shoulder, and shook me harshly. "You and I know that's impossible, so _shut up_ and help me." She pushed me. "Turn around and carry her piggy-back, you're the only one strong enough to do so."

I nodded absentmindedly. I wasn't sure what I was volunteering for at this point.

The walk back had been worse than expected. It was not that she was heavy, or that I was disturbed by the blood, but that I constantly feared she had stopped breathing. I finally reached the point of having Liz and Patty keep tabs on her vitals every few minutes.

I tried to play down the situation at Shibusen, but I was seen by at least a dozen curious students when we arrived. It was hard to not notice me – as _well_ liked as I was – carrying a bloody student on my back. We were met at the infirmary by the nurse that had cared for me several weeks ago, and she remembered Sai.

"Poor thing." She told me. "I hope Professor Stein can sew up those wounds in time." She nodded, calling Stein at his lab. "She's probably lost a lot of blood."

_Blood._ I remembered the squishing sound of the ground, and I grabbed my mouth in nausea. I wasn't going to view mud the same way, again.

***

The nurse contacted Sai's family – which was just Soul – and our friends gathered quickly. And he was the one I was dreading to face.

The look in Soul's eyes was obvious. I was in for a number of angry words from him. Even though he was shorter than me, in his dark shirt and jeans, he was intimidating. Anyone else would have been afraid to be confronted by him. He stormed down the hall as soon as I was in his sights.

And even_ I_ at this moment was a bit fearful of his actions.

He grabbed the front of my jacket, wrinkling it and my starched white tie. "How could you let her get hurt? How? Answer me!" He demanded of me.

"I didn't mean for her to…" I whispered. I had no recourse in this.

Soul shouted at me. "I don't care what you meant! How are you going to fix this?!"

I hung my head, and lowered my eyes. "I don't know…" I mumbled.

He inhaled and he let lose a sob. I could see tears wheal up in his ruby eyes. They reminded me of Sai, and it made my own heart hurt. "She's like my _sister_…why did you let her get hurt?!"

"Soul…" I heard from behind me. It was Spirit. "Go rest. It might be a long night."

Soul sniffed and released my coat. He shot me a look of hatred, and I watched him walk down the hall to join Maka. I also got a dirty look from her, but it had less impact on my emotions than Soul's outburst had.

"Soul…" I started, but was cut off.

"Kid. We need to talk." Spirit's voice was deadly serious.

I turned and looked at him. "What…?" I asked my mind in a fog.

Spirit left his hands in his pants' pockets, but he did not appear relaxed. "Stein says the wounds…are from a Weapon…actually, a Weapon _pair – _very much like the Thompson sisters, in fact."

My mind attempted to wander away. _Then I did shoot her…did I? I don't remember… I didn't! I know I wouldn't do that!_

I attempted to act nonchalant. "What are you saying?"

He sighed, and looked disappointed. "Anyone else would have already been escorted to confinement, but because your Shinigami-sama's son, we're giving you the benefit of the doubt." He paused, and bit his lip. "And because Liz and Patty have _legally_ stated that you three were not involved."

I grew agitated at the idea of people asking them questions behind my back. _"Legally?_ What did you ask them?" I paused, starting to see the problem. "What are you saying, Spirit-san?"

Spirit's face was hard, as was his voice. "Unless Sai can corroborate your story, the Security Committee has stated you are going to be put under confinement for attacking her." His voice trailed off. "And if…"

My voice cracked. "And if, _what?"_

His eyes were unfriendly. "And if she dies, you will be held over for trial."

I ran over the issues in my head: _my girlfriend's been sshot, my friends hate me, and I'm in trouble with the law_. I was pretty sure it wasn't going to get much worse.

_One should never think that,_ I then remembered.

"Spirit-kun!" I heard from the hall behind me. "What happened?!" The voice cracked.

_That voice. I know that voice. And…I hate it…_

I turned and saw it was Justin. He walked up to Spirit and me, and ignored my presence for once. I then noticed he was sobbing like a child.

_Like when I was little;_ his actions evoked the memory in me.

But what was worse, was that I was _so_ confused. I was having trouble fitting the pieces together. _Doesn't this guy hate Sai? Am I still at the insanity factory, because I'm pretty sure most of the world's gone mad at the moment._

Spirit's attitude changed completely, and he stepped around me to comfort Justin. "I'm sure everything will be okay, isn't that right, Kid-kun?" He addressed me, but his words felt like a farce.

I started at Spirit, and nodded automatically. I couldn't figure out what else to do.

It was then that I realized he _expected_ her to die.


	28. Chapter 27 Wrong Type

_Chapter 27 – Wrong Type_

**Death the Kid**

"I was starting to wonder if putting you in charge of the Security Consul was a bad idea." I heard from behind me. "I'm disappointed to see I was right."

I turned to find Stein coming up behind Spirit in the hall. His white, stitched lab coat was spotted with blood. He came to a stop at Spirit's right, removed his glasses, and started wiping them with a clean section of the coat tail.

Spirit turned to him, and eyed his disapprovingly. "I'm just explaining the severity of the situation to him."

Stein sighed and shook his head. "Do you _really_ believe he shot her? And…" He looked down, and started to rub the right lens of his glasses more firmly. "We have other issues to deal with at the moment." He finished wiping his lenses and replaced the frames on his face. "Kid, I'd like you to come with me for a bit." Stein turned away from Sprit, returning the way he came.

I assumed he expected me to follow him. Regardless, it was my intention if it got me away from Spirit and the still-blubbering Justin. It took only a few strides to catch up with him, at his right; I tried to relax my tense posture by resting my hands in my pants' pockets.

I was sure my voice still sounded anxious, however. "What's the situation?"

Stein came to a stop outside of one of the infirmary's doors, and reached for the handle. "Come inside, that's up for discussion."

My friends – Sai and I's friends – languished around the room. I recognized it as the room attached to where the patients stated from my visit a few weeks back. It was a sort of triage, or a simple appointment room. There weren't enough chairs, so Black Star sat on the floor cross-legged, while Maka and Soul stood at the window sill. Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty took up the three green, plastic chairs in the room. I got a number of looks upon my entrance, but no one seemed alarmed or irritated at my presence. Only Soul refused to make eye contact with me, choosing instead to keep his eyes fixed on the outdoors. His attitude towards me agitated _m_e; I could feel myself standing stiff.

"I do believe this is everyone I need." Stein announced. He pulled a rolling desk chair out from under the nurses' station's desk, flipped it around, and sat backwards in it. "I am happy to say the surgery was a success, but I'm in need of blood for her. I'm not sure there's enough time to request it from the city's hospital, so I'm asking – if you're willing – to donate." He paused, gathering his thoughts, it appeared. "We're going to go through what the nurses pulled as far as blood types."

Everyone looked at each other, and light mummers seemed to be in agreement with his request.

Stein reached behind his back, and pulled forward a number of manila folders. He held them over the head of the chair's back. "I pulled the medical records of those in the room." He paused, and flipped open the top folder. "Soul is a match, and said he is willing to donate. Justin is as well, and he donated blood immediately following the surgery. Patty is a match, but she doesn't weigh enough, so I will have to decline her." He paused again, looking at the top sheet in the folder. "That…is all I have, unfortunately. No one else is a match."

It occurred to me there was no medical record on file for myself. I had never taken the general examination due to the confusion of the day of my entrance.

I coughed politely into my right fist. "My blood type is probably not on file. You're welcome to test me."

Stein shut the folder and stood up. "You can't donate Kid. You're blood is designed differently than a human's."

That wasn't the answer I wanted, and I was beginning to wonder if I could do anything besides stand around and watch the events take place. "Are you telling me I can't do anything to help?" I asked, my voice growing a little louder than necessary. "What did you want me here for then?"

He turned the chair around, and pushed it back under the table. "I figured it would only be right if I made you aware of the situation, considering your status in the school is riding on it."

I was split between anguish and anger. "My status is hardly my concern!" I huffed. "Why can't I donate? Why can't I do something useful as well?"

Maka looked at me, her green eyes sad. "Kid…"

"Eh, I'm starting to feel useless." I muttered, leaning against the office door, and rolling my head back to watch the ceiling.

Stein looked from Soul to myself, and back, and then adjusted his glasses. "Kid, Soul, come with me. I think we should have a quick talk."

***

"You know, Sai'd be disappointed to know you two are fighting." Stated Stein nonchalantly as he hooked Soul to line to feed the blood from his right arm into Sai's left. Stein was trying to attach a needle and line to his arm, feed it up through an IV stand, and down to Sai's arm. "I'll need you to hold a little more still, Soul." He complained.

Soul looked unconvinced at the hawkeyed setup. "Is this safe?" He questioned Stein, eyeing him cautiously.

"It won't feed back, so yes." He defended. "There's not enough time to run it though the separator machine, so we'll have to use whatever we can get this way." Stein turned the needle slightly, and Soul winced.

As Soul and Stein fought with the drip loop on the left of Sai's bed, I sat on the right, on a cheap wooden stool. Normally I wouldn't bring myself to sit on something as rickety, but it seemed inappropriate to ask for something like a better seat under the circumstances.

She had a breathing mask over her face, and seemed to be in pain, despite being unconscious. Her breathing was rough, and she was certainly paler than I was accustomed to. Her blood clothes had been discarded, which made me wonder where the coat and ribbons I had given her were.

_And I have to just sit here…is that it?_ I debated.

"What if this doesn't work, Professor?" I asked, eyeing the set up myself. "Should I have my father put in the request at the hospital as a rush?"

Stein stopped fidgeting with Soul's arm, and took a step back. "There's no point. Also, there'll be too many questions as to the cause of the wounds."

_Me again. Trying to make it about me again as an excuse._

I eyed Stein, who was adjusting the needle in Sai's arm. "Why do I get the feeling this is about me?"

Soul glared at me suddenly. "Heh. Isn't that a little narcissistic considering the situation?" He questioned in apparent irritation.

I went on the defense, which surprised even me. "Well…considering I can't do anything productive, and I've already been told what awaits me…"

Stein finished his work and looked up at me. "If we implant your blood into Sai, it could damage her cellular structure."

I wanted another answer. I wanted him to tell me something different.

I sighed. "Isn't there _anything_ I can do? I'm sitting here being unproductive."

"You can make up with Soul, for starters." Stein stated flatly. "I have no intention of having the issues between you two disturb Sai after all of this."

Something about that sentence bothered me, and I stopped considering myself for a moment. "Why _do_ you care so much? It's like you're trying to act like her father."

He adjusted his lab coat's labels. "She's still adjusting to life beyond living in the wilderness. She needs structure, and Sai has no parental figure. And…I want to know the _full_ extent of her abilities."

I inhaled roughly. "She's still a science project to you."

Stein narrowed his eyes. "No, and I would suggest adjusting your tone of voice. I realize you're distraught, but you need to reign in the negative emotions for the moment."

"I…" I started, but ran out of appropriate words.

Soul sighed, and held his left arm to his forehead. "You're giving me a headache, Kid, seriously."

Stein eyed him. "Are you feeling alright, still?"

Soul grimaced. "Eh…no, I'm starting to feel a little like…throwing up, actually."

Stein proceeded to remove the line from Soul's arm. "Damn, I was hoping that would help, but I'm under the impression it won't." He sighed, and finished pulling the line. "This isn't working."

Soul looked queasy, and was holding the spot were Stein had pulled the line. "I'm going to lay down in one of the other beds." He mumbled, and sauntered over to the next cot on the right. Stein pulled the white hanging divider between the two beds as Soul climbed into it.

There was a moment of silence, and I chose to break it. "Professor…let me donate." I proposed again.

Stein shook his head and circled around to the side of the bed I was on. I turned on the stool to face him. "I can't do that Kid. We don't know what will happen."

I stood up from the stool and stood in front of Stein, with my hands in fists at my sides. "You don't understand. I _need_ to do something. I _need_ to donate."

"Kid…it won't work; it's just a volatile idea you're having." Stein stated flatly.

I rocked slightly on my heels. "I _need_ to fix this. I _need_ to do something."

He sighed and looked to his lower left. "And…it's probably too late, Kid…I'm sorry."

That was an excuse I wasn't prepared for. I impulsively grabbed the lapels of Stein's lab coat, honing his attention on me. "No. I need to do it. I need to make up for this! I need to change this!"

Stein's eyes were fiery. "Kid, you _can't_ change this…it's too late for that!"

My eyes started to burn with moisture. "I don't believe that!"

"Then you need to start to!" With a quick shove Stein pushed me back, leaving his right hand on my left shoulder.

I squeezed my eyes shut, overrun with emotion. _"Why are you going to let her die?!"_ I demanded, sniffing harshly at the end.

There was silence, and I could hear my heart in my ears.

"Kid…you're _really_ serious about this, aren't you?" Stein's voice had lightened in tone.

I nodded slowly, but didn't meet his gaze.

Stein patted me on the shoulder. "Then let's go meet with Shinigami-sama. We have to have his approval to complete this kind of blood transfusion."


	29. Chapter 28 Little You

_Chapter 28 – Little You_

**Sai Summers**

I'd be surrounded by darkness for an infinite amount of time. I couldn't even see myself. _I wonder if it looks like I've been shot, _I debated. _Probably not. It either looks like I'm dead or like I've been stitched up by a guy who would rather spend his time dissecting._

If this is death, I'd like to put a note in the suggestion box that it's an incredibly boring place. There's nothing here. The only way I know that _I'm_ even here is that I can hear myself think. I wonder Shinigami-sama can do something about it. Maybe death needs tea-time to breakup the monotony of the mornings and afternoons. I know he like tea.

But Kid prefers coffee. Or maybe he just likes be difficult. Either way.

I've decided I'm taking the fact that I haven't seen anything nice and "holy" as a sign I'm not actually dead. I guess Kid actually found me. Stein probably operated on me.

So where the heck_ is_ this?

At some point at an unknown time, a light appeared. It was a cone of light coming down from an unknown position. In the dark it looked like a golden cone sitting on an unknown ground. Without knowing anything else about the darkness, I tried moving towards the light. I think I was walking, but without being able to see anything, it was hard to tell if _I_ was moving, or the _light_ was moving towards me.

At some point in the uncountable time, I reached the light. I was able to see myself for the first time, and I noticed I wasn't bloody. I looked like I had when I left for the factory with Kid and the sisters. There wasn't even blood or holes in my white shirt or on the wool coat Kid had given me.

That made me glad. I was feeling attached to this coat already. Or I had just started to pick up Kid's issues about cleanliness and perfection. Either way…

No wait, may that never happen. I don't know if the world could handle too people like him.

Amongst all of my musings, a scrapping sound distracted me. I looked down into the circle of like on the supposed-ground and saw what appeared to be a small boy.

It was Kid…as a little kid.

_Which makes him, what? A little kid Kid? _I pondered.

That was a hard concept to wrap my mind around. If I had a mind at the moment.

Since I could finally see myself, I understood my ability to kneel, which when was able to do; I could get a better look at him. It most certainly looked like Kid, but he couldn't have been more than five or six years old. The white lines in his hair shown brightly in the hard spotlight above us. Kid's dark hair shadowed his face. He was sitting on his heels, with his knees pulled up.

Little Kid was drawing invisible lines on the "ground" with his finger.

I looked at him, but he was too low to the ground with his head down to make eye contact. "Hey there, what'cha doing?"

He sniffed. "Nothing. There's nothing to do. I don't want to get dirty."

Somehow that didn't surprise me, and I noticed his black jacket and black shorts were spotless and lint-free. Even his loafers were shined to perfection. "You don't?"

He sniffed again and looked up at me. It was the same golden eyes I knew, except these one looked sad and…innocent. "No. I don't want to be dirty. All of the other kids go and do that. But…" He whispered. "I don't like that."

"Then…what do you like to do for fun?" I asked quietly.

He looked back at the ground. "I like to read." He said quietly.

I wasn't so good with the reassurance thing for kids. "Well, that's a good thing; you'll grow up and be really smart."

Little Kid was silent for a moment. "Big Sister?"

I watched his movements. "Hmm?"

He sniffed. "Why do the other kids make fun of me?"

That was a question I wasn't anticipating, but it still wasn't shocking to hear. "I didn't know they made fun of you, Kid."

He stood up, and rubbed his face with his left jacket sleeve. "They don't like me. They say I'm weird."

I wished I could tell him things would change when he got older, but I couldn't bring myself to lie to him…even if he wasn't a real person. "But you know what?" I asked, trying to sound upbeat.

"What?" He asked quietly.

"I like you." I told him, trying to smile.

He seemed surprised, and not disappointed. "You do?"

I straightened Little Kid's starched white tie that had become crooked in his kneeling. "Yeah, I think you're special. And so do a lot of other people."

He sniffed a final time. "Thanks, Big Sister."

I patter him on the left arm. "You're welcome, Kid."

Little Kid, the darkness, and the spot light were suddenly removed from existence. There were replaced by the much harsher light of reality.

***

Kid – in his older version – was sleeping on his folded arms on the edge of the bed I was resting on. His shirt collar and hair were ruffled, and his tie looked loose. He didn't have his usual state of desired perfection. Whatever he had been doing was obviously more important than his looks.

His breathing was deeper than if he had been awake, but he didn't snore like he was relaxed. I smoothed out his hair, and noticed his face skin was cold. "You're cold." I muttered.

"I would have thought you'd be more concerned with yourself." I heard from my right.

Stein was sitting backwards on the rolling desk chair that looked like it had come from next door. I vaguely remembered seeing something like it the first day Kid and I had been here.

"Hmm." I paused and thought for a moment, absentmindedly playing with Kid's hair. "If you're expecting something deep and mindful out of me about it, you're going to be waiting awhile..."

I noticed my left eye started to hurt and I rubbed it with my left hand.

Stein stood and walked to the right side of the bed. "What's the matter? I didn't notice anything wrong with your eyes." He searched in the right-hand pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a pen light, aiming it at me. "Look at me." He ordered.

I turned to him, and he lowered the light.

"What?" I asked, needing to rub my eye again.

He flicked on the light. "Can you see this light?"

"I know something's there, but not really." I paused. "It's pretty dark."

Stein pursed his lips, shut the light off, and replaced it in his pocket. "And it's probably because you _know_ its there, not necessarily because you can _see_ it."

"What is it?"

"It's something I was concerned about. Putting Kid's blood in your system has damaged your sight. But…"

I looked at him with uneasiness. "But what?"

"I don't know if it's a bad thing, yet." He used his hand to right around in the pocket he had placed the penlight in, but didn't seem able to find whatever he was looking for. "And actually, hold on, I'll be right back." Stein let him self through the doorway across the room, and on the right-hand side. He turned after a moment or two, and handed me a black, folded piece of plastic.

It was a pocket makeup mirror. I opened it and held it up to my face. Out of my right eye, I watched my left

My brow furrowed. "What is this, Professor?"

Stein rested his hands in his lab coat pockets. "I won't lie to you; I don't know the answer yet."

The red and black sawtooth pattern was fixed over my iris, and on stop of that were three white lines that ran parallel to one another from the left edge to the center of my vision. Or what would have been my vision spot, if it didn't look like my pupil was blown.

"Someone's going to notice this." I whispered. "What about Kid? He…"

"I'll get you an eye patch." Stein quickly mentioned. "And stay quiet about this until I can find out more." He started to walk from the bed.

I needed his attention quickly. "And Professor?"

He half-turned. "Hmm?"

For some reason having to tell him what I was feeling felt more like pleading than a statement of fact. "He didn't do it. It's not his fault." I paused. "Don't…let him get in trouble for this."

Stein simply gave me a nod, like what I had said was nothing unexpected. "I'll be back with that patch in a minute. Stay quiet so he stays asleep."

And now I had to keep hoping Kid wouldn't awake…like I didn't have enough worries at the moment.


	30. Chapter 29 Purple Haze

_Chapter 29 – Purple Haze_

**Sai Summers**

My hopes were quickly dashed.

The door to the hall burst open.

"Sai!"

I turned to see the energetic face of Black Star, which while not unexpected, was a little loud for_ just_ this moment. He must have impeccable timing. It seemed that most of the group had tagged along behind him. Tsubaki gave him a light smack to the back of his head for his noise level.

There was a rustle at me left, and I instinctively turned. I found Kid sitting up right watching me intently. It took the widening of his eyes for me to realize he could see the bizarre markings in my left eye, at which point I automatically tried to shield it from view. His golden eyes narrowed; and I put my right index finger to my mouth, hoping he'd remain silent on the issue.

Kid gave a slight nod, stood, and turned towards the group filtering into the room. He then assisted me in sitting up as straight as I could in the bed, despite the anger roar of pain from my abdomen. I continued to cover my left eye, as if it was hurting me.

Stein shuffled back into the room, looking alarmed. "What is all of this? This is a patient's room!"

Soul approached the right side of the bed. He wasted no time with formalities. "Let's hear it, Sai. Is Kid the one who shot you?"

Kid still had his arm around my shoulders from assisting me, and I felt his hand squeeze the right one.

I stared at Soul, but continued to guard my eye. "Were you accusing Kid of shooting me?"

"Actually…" He started, but Stein interceded. He directed Kid towards the foot of the bed, while he took his place on he left side. He had returned with a simple white pad eye patch, which he fixed on the left side of my head. He then helped me sit up straighter, which allowed me to sit up without assistance.

"I think it's best we leave this discussion for later." Stein stated flatly. It seemed to be an issue he didn't feel like discussing at the moment.

I adjusted my hair through the bands of the eye patch, and then turned to Soul. "It's okay. If something needs to be asked, then so be it. I just want to know what this is about." I picked at the lower band again. "And no, he didn't, so don't accuse Kid of stuff."

Soul looked sheepish, and scratched the back of his head with his right hand. It looked like his argument has been deflated in a matter of moments. "I _was_ starting to wonder considering how adamant he was about helping you." He glanced at Kid, who was adjusting his coat and tie in the reflection of a glass-faced cabinet of medications.

I scowled at Soul. "I'm seriously ashamed of you; accusing Kid like that." I sighed. _"I'm _the one who ran off and got in trouble. So…"

Stein cut me off, still standing at my left. "So what _did_ shoot you?"

It wasn't something I wanted to bring up. "Actually…it…was Kid…"

A gasp went up in the room, and all eyes were fixated on me. There was silence and no one moved for a long moment. I could see Kid watching me from in the reflection, his right hand grasping his no-longer starched white tie.

It was my turn to be hangdog. I grinned and waved my hands in front of me. "Oh, don't misunderstand me. It only _looked_ like him. I _knew_ it wasn't Kid."

There was a communal sigh, and people went back to moving again. Kid started to organize the bottles in the medicine cabinet with Liz and Patty's assistance. Black Star took a seat on the floor, while Maka and Tsubaki straightened up the room. Stein pulled a wooden stool from under my bed. I assumed it to be what Kid had been sitting on while he had been sleeping on the bed. Soul remained at my right.

Despite my mind being fuzzy from the pain medications, my mind was still awake and functioning. _Actually…what _was_ Kid doing sleeping there? And why am I like this? I would really like to get the chance to ask Stein. Maybe I can get him to get rid of everyone if I fake not feeling well suddenly. _

Stein wasn't letting the subject go. "So what do you mean?" He asked, the look in the eyes behind his glasses was intense.

"Umm…it _looked_ like Kid, but he was just an image of him. It didn't act anything like him. And it didn't…" I left my voice drift off, knowing what I was about to say may cause Kid embarrassment.

He looked mildly confused. "What is it, Sai?"

It a stroke of bad timing, Kid returned to the foot of the bed, straightened up and resting his hands in his pant's pockets.

I was hesitant still. "It didn't _smell_ like him. Kid…he has a particular _smell_ to him."

Soul snorted a laugh at my right, and in a flash he was walloped with an oversized book from Maka, who was now at his right. Kid's cheeks and ears tinted pink, but he didn't seem surprised at the observation.

Stein bent his head, and the light reflected off of his glasses. "It's not surprising you mention that, actually. The Shinigami do have a different chemical makeup, and it's only…_natural_ to notice differences like that."

_That doesn't sound in anyway normal to me,_ I realized. _Is he being condescending? Oh, who cares…_

Stein stood and pushed the stool back under the bed. "I need to write up your chart, Sai. I'll give you kids a few minutes alone."

I tried to smile, but I felt uneasy. "Thanks Professor."

Stein pushed aside the curtain, and stepped back into the room next door.

I looked at my right at Soul. He had recovered from the Maka Chop to the head, but was still scowling at her. "Soul, do you think you guys could give me and Kid a few minutes to talk? I need to ask him a few things."

Soul gave a slight nod. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Maka started to usher out Black Star, Tsubaki, and the Thompson sisters. Soul started to follow them out, but turned around and returned to my right. "Oh wait. Hey, Kid?"

Kid looked up at Soul, breaking his gaze from me. "Hmm?"

Soul offered his hand in a handshake. "Forgive me, man. I should have asked you first."

Kid took his hand and returned the gesture. "It's fine. Anyone in your position would have acted similarly."

Soul still seemed ashamed from the situation, "Thanks." He paused. "I'll be back in a while, Sai."

I tried to smile at him, but it came out weakly. "Alright."

Soul gave a final nod and walked to the door. He shut it behind him without looking back.

"Ah, I'm glad the chaos is over." Kid muttered. "A moment of peace."

Kid sat down on the edge of the bed where he had been previously sleeping. His gaze was intense, but he didn't appear to actually be looking at me. My eyes narrowed on him. "Kid, what is it? I don't like that look."

He continued to stare. He then hung his head abruptly. "Your eyes aren't symmetrical now. And now the eye patch…"

I sank in place. "That's what's bothering you? I get shot in the chest by something that looks like you and you're worried about me not being symmetrical?"

He continued to hang his head, and his eyes fell to the right. "That's why they call it a mental illness, Sai."

I scooted forward on the bed. I put my arms under his and around his torso, and rested my head against his left shoulder. Kid put his left arm around my back, and rested his head against my own. I could still feel a chill on his face, but his core was warm.

There was sudden darkness again.

Despite not being able to see anything around me, I had conscious thoughts. _What happened? Did I pass out?_

I could feel a tinge of fear in my stomach, and I held it instinctively. "Hello? Kid? What happened? Where are you?"

I looked down It took me a moment to conceptualize that I could see myself, and that my skin was tinted purple.

In the next moment, I realized I was naked. It was then that I panicked.

"What happened?! Where are my clothes?!" I shrieked.

"Sai! Relax!" I could hear Kid yelling.

I tried to stop moving but I was shaking now. There was then a flash of white light in front of me. I could see out from the darkness in a fuzzy portal, but my vision was tinted purple as well. I could see both Stein and Kid looking at me. "Well, isn't that interesting." Mused Stein.

I tried to cover myself with my hands. "Ah! Don't look at me!"

Kid's voice was dark and relaxed. "We can't see you, so you can relax, Sai."

"You can't…?" Fear started to creep in. "How do I get out of here? I don't want to be in here anymore." I whined.

I watched Stein adjust his glasses through the portal. "Consider your human form, Sai. You should be able to shift back."

I pictured my human form, and the darkness disappeared. I was sitting again on the bed, but on top of the blankets. It was pleasing to find that my clothes at reappeared as well. But the t-shirt and shorts from the clinic I was wearing were thin, and couldn't possibly keep me warm.

I felt a chill and nearly fell over from my sitting position. Kid caught me before my head hit the bed. His hands were cold on my bare arms, but I was too tired to complain. He held me up and against himself.

"She needs sleep." I heard Stein say. "That was more activity than she should be doing so shortly after surgery. I felt the blankets shift on the bed, and felt myself grow warmer as I was cover back up. Kid never let go of me though, so I never ran the risk of falling over again, it seemed.

My mind was fuzzy. "Kid…"

"Hmm?" His voice was close to my ear.

Despite my condition, I worried about him. "You're cold…why are you cold?"

He smoothed the hair on the back of my head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." His voice was smooth and relaxing to me.

And it allowed me to sleep.


	31. Chapter 30 Identity

_Chapter 30 – Identity_

**Sai Summers**

**Tuesday**

"You need to keep eating, Sai."

Kid was looking frustrated as he sat with me in the infirmary between lectures. He was sitting on the edge on my left, and seemed at least _more_ comfortable with the fact that I would likely never be symmetrical again. My eyesight had yet to return, but the marks in my eye were still prominent. I had replaced the ugly medical eye patch with a black band cut to fit my head, however.

We had been fighting a battle over my consumption of foodstuffs since the early morning.

I was finally back to eating normally, having been removed from the IV fluids a few hours earlier. Kid was pushing me to eat, but the oatmeal I had been given was closer to gruel than the fluffy cinnamon oatmeal I had been promised. My food choices were limited because Stein still had concerns about my ability to digest after having it shut down for three days.

On the metal stand and tray next to the bed, outside of the oatmeal – which was in a plain white bowl in my lap at the moment – was a gelatin-like substance that was green, and water. Stein refused to allow me to drink anything other than that, and not even that was of much interest. That meant getting out of bed for the bathroom, and moving around was still not particularly comfortable.

I set the white bowl on the tray, and it clanked. "Ugh. Hospital food."

Kid leaned across the bed with one clean movement, picked up the bowl, and handed to back to me. "Eat. You won't be strong enough to leave if you don't."

I took a moment, in irony, to digest the level of grace he expressed in his movements.

My brow furrowed at the oatmeal. "I can't eat it. It's too unappealing. Can we get the Professor to get me something else?"

And as one knows when you speak of the devil…

There was a knock at the door, and Stein stuck his head in, a cigarette at the edge of his lips. Kid and I both turned towards him. "How are you holding up, Sai?" Stein asked. He bent his head and the light reflected off of his glasses.

I returned the bowl to the tray once again, and I watched Kid's eyes narrow. "Can I get something else to eat?"

Stein opened the door wider and stepped into the room. To my surprise though, he didn't shut it behind him. He walked to the right side of the bed and stood at ease. "I'll see what I can do." He paused, removing the cigarette from his mouth to hold it in his hand. "Have you made any headway?"

I hung my head. "No. I still can't make a weapon form." I bit my lip. "Nothing comes out."

Stein replaced the cigarette in his mouth. "Show me."

I put out my right hand and concentrated on the weapon shapes I was familiar with. Things that I could produce in my hand without having to imagine the wooden and metallic details and patterns. I hadn't had to pay so much attention to the details of them since before I had studied with Justin.

Nothing. Even when I pushed my mind and soul into making something appear in my hand, I got nothing.

It was the third day in a row we had tried.

Stein, who had been watching intently, suddenly directed his attention to the adjoining room. "Hold on a second, I'm going to fetch a chair." He wandered into nurses' office, likely in search of the rolling desk chair he had grown found of.

While my wounds were healing unnaturally fast now, the abilities I had grown accustomed to were not functional. Yes, I had gained the ability to shift into Scythe-like Weapon form without having to enter the body of a Meister, but I seemed to now lack the ability to produce my own weapon from my body.

_Am I just a Regular Weapon now? Has Kid's blood removed my Independent abilities?_

Despite my agitation at the way Independent Weapons were seen, and the problems I had experienced in Iceland, I wasn't ready to abruptly give up being "special."

I wrapped my arms around my waist and wounds, and sniffed. The frustration was giving way to anger and a feeling of loss. Kid was growing used to seeing me agitated by the situation, and simply put his right hand on my left shoulder.

He was still cold. I had been several days and I had no answer to as why. Kid either didn't have an explanation, or he was reluctant to give one. Considering I assumed he found me to be in a precarious mental state, either one was a possibility.

I looked at him, worrying more about _him_ worrying about _me,_ than myself. "I'll be fine. It's not like I'm not still a Weapon or anything, right?"

Stein returned, pushing the chair. He flipped the front of the chair towards him and sat on it backwards. "I am concerned you're focusing on the wrong objects. " He scooted the chair a few feet towards the bed. "So we're going to try a few things."

Kid eyed him in what I assumed to be suspicion. "What do you mean 'try a few things'? Sai's making an effort to produce whatever she can."

Stein bowed his head slightly. "I'm aware she's trying. But she may not be able to produce the _same_ weapons she did before. They could be _completely_ different at this point. Look at the changes so far."

I looked at Kid, trying to be optimistic. "He has a point. It may just be that the weapons I can create are not the same. My main Weapon form has changed to what's more typical for my family. Like you said, in a family of scythes, another scythe shouldn't be unexpected. It's the norm, not the outlying ability."

There was a knock on the door frame of the door leading to the hall.

It was Justin in his usual priestly garb. "Actually, that was _far_ more my point." His voice was either slightly snotty to my ears, or I was just annoyed with his presence already. Either, or was acceptable reasoning for me at the moment. He entered the room, shut the door behind him, and went to stand at Stein's right.

I sighed. "What's Justin doing here?"

Stein shifted in his seat. "I want to see if you still retain any of your Meister abilities. If you can still use Justin, it's likely a sign you still have other skills."

Kid stood up and rested his hands in his pants pockets. He didn't seem to be comfortable in Justin's presence, however, and looked obviously tense. "Do you believe that if she's able to be both a Meister and Weapon, she can eventually produce her own weapons again?"

Stein nodded. "That's the theory I'm betting on at the moment."

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win the battle against Stein in having to interact with Justin. "Fine. Let's just try." I put out my right hand waiting for him to appear in his Weapon form.

Justin shut his eyes, and his physical form shifted out of existence. He was replaced by a white light. The white light filled in the space in my hand, and a pump-action shotgun appeared in my hand. The barrel was reflective, metalic silver, while the handle and pumping mechanisms were done in white ivory.

"Any problems?" Asked Stein. He seemed anxious to know my immediate response.

I examined the gun for anything abnormal or for any adverse reaction coming from Justin's end. "Nothing out of the ordinary. No added weight, no feeling of rejection…outside of the usual annoyance I have for him."

Stein chuckled. "That doesn't count."

I looked up at Kid, who was slightly wide-eyed. "You have Gun Meister abilities?" He asked, trying to examine the shotgun without having to come into contact with Justin.

I held it out for him to see. "Kind of. I have the ability to use Justin's Weapon form, but he has never had the ability to use mine. And I have yet to use any other Gun Weapons."

"Hmm." Was Kid's only response. His expression was dark, though. I assumed he was thinking less pleasant thoughts that he kept to himself.

_I know he's upset, but there's not much I can do about the past._

"Are we done?" Asked Justin, his voice ringing in my ears.

I nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

The shotgun disappeared from my hand, and Justin reappeared next to Stein with the same white flash as before.

Stein turned to him, and the chair squeaked. "Did you notice anything unusual?"

Justin straightened his robe. "Outside of the fact that she didn't have to release her other abilities to make it work, no. No sign of rejection."

"Good." Stein climbed off of the chair and pushed it to the wall behind him. "I need to speak with Shinigami-sama and let him know. Why don't you join me, Justin?"

I noticed Stein make eye contact with Kid, even though he was addressing Justin.

"That's fine." Was his simple response. Justin either noticed Stein's actions and didn't care, or was oblivious. "I should check in anyway, he wants an update on the most recent assignment I was given." Justin walked over and opened the door, holding it open.

Stein now stood at the door way, and turned back to look at me. "I will be back later today to check on you. Get some rest."

I nodded. "I will. Thanks."

Stein exited first, and Justin closed the door behind them.

Now came the tough part. Dealing with whatever I was going to get from Kid, possibly regarding Justin.

He was standing with his hands in his pockets at the medicine cabinet he had meticulously organized the other day. He didn't appear to be actually looking at the objects within in, as I could see his gaze in the reflection. And considering that none of the bottles appeared to have been moved, there didn't see to be anything he needed to do to it. Both sides had bottles that matched one another – down to the type of meds they had in them. Normally someone would have tried to get him to stop him when he had the desire to do it, but even the Thompson sisters made no effort to deter him. Maybe we all thought it was better to allow Kid to keep himself busy. Made him stay a little more sane that way, even if it was actually _compulsion_ he was manifesting.

I watched him for another moment, but there was silence.

"Kid…what's wrong?" I asked softly.

He raised his head slowly, and I could see him looking at me. "I'm the one responsible for this. You have this stress and these problems because of me." His voiced lacked expression.

That immediately agitated me. "I'm _alive_ because of you."

He walked to the side of the bed with only a few fluid steps. "I keep thinking there must be an answer to _why_ you've changed, but I'm apt to say the answer's not in a book in the library." He removed his hands from his pockets and sat down on the edge of the bed, but he didn't make eye contact. He was staring across the room to my left, and slightly down.

I scooted forward on the bed, moving more towards him. "What is it, Kid? I can tell you're thinking about something."

His voice was both quiet and questioning. "Did infusing you with the Shinigami blood change you for the better or worse?"

My brow wrinkled. "Kid…that's not a question I can answer."

He turned towards me and his expression was once again dark. "So the answer is worse, I take it." His voice was flat, expressionless.'

I didn't care what he assumed the answer to be. I ignored his comment.

I put my left hand on his right cheek, ignoring his statement. "Why are you cold?"

He lowered his eyes, and his voice was quiet. "It takes the Shinigami longer to replace the blood they lose. It takes two or three times as long as a normal human. So I have a lower blood pressure, and what blood I have pulls itself away from the surface to maintain my organs. I'll be cold a few more days, and then I'll start to warm up gradually. Another week or two and I'll be back to normal. But…"

I put my hand down, and let it rest on his hands, which he held in his lap. "But what?" I asked calmly.

His golden eyes met mine. "You won't go back to the way you were before."

I squeezed his left hand, which was on top of the pair. "We don't know that, Kid."

Kid's expression made me realize this was certainly what he had been dwelling on. He shut his eyes. "You can't. You can't go back. The Shinigami blood is like a _poison_ to humans. It damages them, _changes_ them. You might not like…"

I let my hand fall to his shoulder. I didn't normally take this approach with him but I had to: "Kid, shut up." I told him.

He looked up at me, looking surprised at my words. I noticed a touch of sadness in his expression. "That was…somewhat…_blatantly_ mean of you."

I inhaled with noise. "I said that because I want you to realize that I'm still _me_. I am still the me who likes you. No matter what abilities I have. And…well…" I was running out of deep, meaningful thoughts. "…we'll figure the rest of it out." I rested my head against his right shoulder, hoping this would kill the theme of the conversation.

But Kid wouldn't let the subject die. "What if you can no longer make your own weapon?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't understand why he couldn't just drop the subject for the moment. I wanted a quiet moment with him, not one riddled with questions that had no answers. "Then…I'll pair up with another Meister or Weapon. I will…be like everyone else." I explained. Even though I didn't like the sound of it, I would say it for now.

I could hear his voice close to my ear. "You have the blood of the Shinigami in your system. You will _never_ be like everyone else."


	32. Chapter 31 Replay

_Chapter 31 – Replay_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Tuesday**

**Sai**

"I am _not_ wearing that, Kid." I complained. I was still dressed in one of the pairs of light blue hospital pajamas I had been given post-surgery.

He was holding up a fluffy, black skirt. "Why not, it's high quality." He shook it lightly and the lace waved in the slight breeze.

I was finally being released from the infirmary, and a meeting with Shinigami-sama was on the menu for me.

It was also time to prove Kid wasn't the reason I ended up here in the first place.

But first there was an issue of clothing, for some reason. It seemed unimportant to me at the moment, however. Maybe because all I really wanted was to go home to my own bed.

Kid now held up a black fitted jacket with silver ties and white piping. "The Shinigami have an image to upkeep. It's only appropriate your dress uphold the image."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think you're just trying to dress me like a Lolita."

Kid snorted. "I think you're more perverted than I am. After what you said last night… " His cheeks tinted pink.

"Ack, stop." I scowled at him, and then looked away. "If you say stuff like that people will start spying on us."

I heard a noise at my back and half-turned. The door to the hallway clicked shut.

"Show yourself!" I yelled at the door, my arms and fists rigid at my sides.

The door reopened, and Stein stuck his head in the doorway; he was smiling. "I promise I wasn't eavesdropping...intentionally. I just wanted to let you know its time."

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "Alright thanks, Professor."

Stein backed out of the door, and it shut with a click.

Kid continued to hold the jacket, looking away from Stein.

I pulled it out of his hands. "So, what, are you going to stand here while I change too, to make sure its acceptable?"

This time his ears flushed pink as well.

I put my right hand on his left shoulder and patted his chest. The wool of his coat was both warm and soft under my hand. "Let's get this over with…I want to go back to everyday life."

***

**Kid**

"I have no doubt you didn't do it, but I think it's important for you to see it, Kid."

I was trying to remain relaxed, and stood at ease. "Father, I already saw the damage this did, I'm not sure what this will accomplish."

He sighed. "I think it's important because you're blaming yourself."

I stuffed my hands into my pants' pockets. "I am responsible."

Father looked at me, and then towards the mirror. I could swear I saw him hanging his head.

It was a vision of me…of something that looked like me…shooting at Sai. The surroundings exploded with bullets.

The look on her face when "I" was about shoot made me sick to my stomach. The sound of Sai screaming my name was the worst. She needed me and I wasn't there. I went down to one knee; it was hard to come to grips with. I put my right hand to my mouth, trying to keep the contents of my last meal in my stomach. I needed it to stop.

"Father, please." I mumbled though him hand.

He turned away, and I realized he expected me to watch it, regardless of my feelings.

I looked back up. Sai was stumbling away from the scene of the attack, blood starting to trail on the ground. She made it only a half-dozen steps before collapsing.

There was a thumping of heavy boots behind me, but I opted to not turn and look. I feared spinning in place would offset my equilibrium.

"Kid?" There was a voice behind me.

_Leave me be, don't look at me being weak again._

"Kid!" Sai was yelling for me, but I couldn't stop the visions in my head.

Sai's voice scraped my eardrums. "Shinigami-kun!"

_Those words, that formality. _

I stood and walked to the mirror. The scene fast forwarded to when the sisters and I had found her. I looked confused and slightly frightened in the movie. Not the image I was looking to portray.

I needed to get stronger emotionally. I put my hand onto the glass, trying to make sure it was just a replay of the previous series of events.

I couldn't stop staring at it. I couldn't tear my eyes away. A white light slide from the top to the bottom of the mirror, and it cleared the images from the glass. I could see my own reflection, and I contemplated my gold eyes. II took my hand down, and realized I had left fingerprints on the glass. "Ahh. Look at that." I mumbled. Reaching into my right jacket pocket I pulled out a white, handkerchief, and started to rub out the prints.

Old habits die hard, I presume.

If I hadn't been so absorbed in the cleaning, I may have noticed the projectile flying at the back of my head. As it turned out, as I turned around it planted itself in my forehead for a moment. It then shimmered out of existence, and blood began to run down my forehead and around my nose.

It was a _kama;_ a hand sickle. It had come from Sai's hand.

I watched her for a moment. She held a pair of black and red sickles, one in each hand. The staffs were a matte black, and the blades shined with the black and red sawtooth pattern.

It was one of her new Soul Weapon forms.

Sai's face blanched and the weapons disappeared. "Hey, Kid…you're…"

While I wanted to be impressed, I realized my face was bleeding profusely. And that she had thrown a deadly weapon at my head. Which was worse, depended on my reaction, I suppose.

I let go of the handkerchief, and it floated lightly down to the platform. The room and my vision spun, and I fell back a step.

***

**Sai**

"Kid!" I took the steps to the top of the platform two at a time, and grabbed Kid's right arm before he could fall fully back. I set him down on the platform. Blood dripped down his face and spotted the mirror-like surface. What didn't make it to the floor bloodied his collar, tie, and jacket.

Kid picked up the handkerchief, and started to blot the blood from his face. "Ugh. Thank you."

I took it from his hand and started to wipe. "Let me, you're missing." I paused and wiped near his eyes. "Close your eyes so I don't get any in them."

Shinigami-sama bounced over to where we sat. He looked down to us. "Ho ho, we're you holding back on us?"

I blushed. "It wasn't intentional. I wouldn't have done it to begin with it I knew it was causing Kid to beat himself up over it."

Kid pulled the handkerchief from my hand, and started to stand. "Thank you. I've got the rest of it."

There was sudden popping sound, and it made him stop half-way up. We both turned towards the sound. I eyed Kid; the color drained from his face and he fell back onto his back. His shoulders twitched, and then held still.

Shinigami-sama had put down his hood and pulled off his mask. He was smiling…with a true face…

I blinked. "Shinigami-sama…"

The family resemblance was _almost_ obvious. His face was not quite as soft as Kid's, but there was still a sense of youth that still showed in him, despite his extreme age. He had similar black hair, but his white stripes spun all of the way around his head. Shinigami-sama's eyes were also gold, but glowed warmly. They were almost difficult to look at, and I found myself squinting. _The mask must keep them contained,_ I realized.

His voice echoed less than when he wore the mask. "I didn't expect him to react like this. But it has been a while since he's seen me without my mask as well." He seemed a bit embarrassed at his son's reaction.

I watched Kid. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. "Shinigami-sama?"

He waved one of his gloved hands downwards. "Oh, you can drop the extreme formality. You are like a part of my family now. 'Death-san' is fine."

"Death-san…" I was still in disbelief. He and Kid resembled one another, for the most part.

My cheeks warmed. _Is this what Kid will look like as an adult?_

But apparently I was more interesting. His eyes shined. "Ehh, so cute!"

I then got to learn where the term "death squeeze" comes from. Shinigami-sama grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me.

Kid sat up abruptly and his posture was rigid. "What are you doing to her?!" He yelled, his eyes squeezed shut.

Shinigami-sama was still squeezing my shoulders. "Um, Death-san…? I think this is bothering Kid."

He laughed, but didn't let go. "Sorry. It's just been so long since we've had a girl in the family."

Something dawned on me. _So this is how Shinigami-sama and Spirit get along…they like cute things…and girls…_

I eyed him, and then Kid, whose eyes were narrow and enraged. "Most of your personality traits didn't pass long, did they?"

Shinigami-sama finally released me and I straightened my jacket. "Unfortunately not, but it happens. He's more like his mother, you might say."

I hadn't considered Kid having a mother, despite the obviousness of the matter. It seemed highly unlikely the Shinigami popped out of nowhere.

Kid finally stood and brushed himself off. "All of that was unnecessary, Father." He adjusted his tie, but there was no way to straighten away the blood stains.

Shinigami-sama turned to Kid. He didn't seem to feel the need to quell his son's objections. "We need to discuss the incident at the factory, still."

I decided to interfere on the conversation. "What about it?" I asked.

Shinigami-sama turned to me and blinked. "I assumed you weren't prepared to go back. I had planned to send Kid alone this time. He wasn't affected by the visions."

Kid looked at me. "You're not going with me. It's too dangerous for you."

I raised my shoulders. "Excuse me? You're not getting to speak for me on this!"

There were footfalls behind Kid and I. "I think it'll be okay." It was Spirit, and Stein who was carrying a bento. "And I apologize for missing the actual meeting. It's lunch time." Stein stated, and held up his lunch box.

Shinigami-sama looked embarrassed at his staff. Lunch had taken precedence over a meeting with him. "It doesn't matter. It wasn't much of a meeting."

Stein took a seat on the first step and started to open his bento. It was wrapped in a white and pink cloth, which made me wonder who made it. Stein didn't seem to be the type to even remember food when he was busy…or even _not_ busy.

Spirit came up the platform and stood next to Kid. He raised an eyebrow at Kid's bloody clothes, and the blood stains on his face we had failed to remove. "What happened to you?"

Kid crossed his arms across his chest, not making eye contact with the Death Scythe. The subject didn't appear to be up for discussion. Spirit simply shrugged in response. "As long as everything's okay…" He let his voice trail off. Spirit looked dejected at the lack of response.

Shinigami-sama pulled up his hood, and removed his mask out from under his robe, and popped it back onto his face. "If you're up to it, I will send you along as well…but…"

This was the part I worried about, the "but."

It was the mask this time that smiled. "I'm sending Justin with you, just in case. You're going as a Meister only, this time."

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. _Great, just great…_


	33. Chapter 32 Mechanics of Heart

_Chapter 32 – Mechanics of Heart_

**Death the Kid **

I wasn't prepared to take my Father's decision at face value. "Is it necessary for Justin to go with us? He tends to make Sai uncomfortable."

Spirit cocked his head to his right. "He makes you, or her, uncomfortable?"

"Kid?" Sai stood at my right, and pulled me jacket sleeve once. "Really, this isn't a big deal. Don't worry about this."

I shifted in place, and let me attention remain on Spirit. "I won't lie that I'm not fond of him, but I believe that's beside the point."

Stein stood, walked to where the rest of us stood, and joined in the conversation. He was chewing on a rice ball, and his words were muddled. "Actually, it's _not._ Sai's not strong enough at the moment to go on her own." He said between bites. "She needs a partner."

I went on the defensive. My voice was even and dark. "She wouldn't be on her own. I won't let that happen again."

Spirit was stoic on the matter despite his relaxed stance. "We can't be assured of the, Kid."

Stein concurred with him. "She may have regained some of her abilities, but she's still physically weak. This is outside of the fact that _you_ have a partner already, and her true strength at this point is lying in her ability to shift into a Regular Weapon from human form. She either needs to _be_ a Meister or _have_ a Meister. Both of which Justin has the capacity to be."

The thought grated on my nerves. _Justin, Justin, Justin…I hear too much about him…_

I exhaled heavily and watched the floor. "So you plan to match her and Justin on a more permanent basis?"

Stein blinked and looked thoughtful. "They _would_ make a strong team. Both have Independent Weapons' capabilities, and they do have a long history together. I can't see matching her with anyone else right now."

_I don't count. She can't be matched with me…_

"Excuse me…mind if you don't leave me out of the conversation?" Sai asked abruptly. She then took a page out of Soul's book of social repertoire. "I really find it _uncool_ of you guys to act like I'm not here.

I closed my eyes and coughed politely into my fist. "So sorry." I tried to not laugh at her word choice.

Father wobbled over to Sai's right. He put an oversized gloved hand on her shoulder. "It still remains Sai's decision, in the end. It is against Shibusen's rules to force a match between partners."

She seemed business-like for the moment. "All we have to do is go back to the factory…and do what?"

Father bounced in place and his mask smiled. "There's something there I need you to retrieve. Unfortunately, I'm not _exactly_ sure what it looks like, but you should recognize it as something out of place." He paused and looked thoughtful. "It's also likely something large, probably the length of your arm or so."

That didn't make much sense to me. He either knew too little, or was hiding something. "That…doesn't give us much of a hint. Are you doing that on purpose?"

Spirit picked up the slack in the hinting. He took a few steps forward and stood at my left. "It's likely something mechanical looking. A gear, a key…something _along_ those lines…And…"

I raised an eyebrow. "And what?"

He lowered his head and smiled stupidly. "Do you _realize_ you're got blood all over you?"

I could feel my eyes widen. I had pushed it to the back of my mind. "I…I'm a mess…!"

I didn't have time to shift into a full-blown panic mode, however. Sai started to pull on my arm and drag me out of the office. "Let's go get this over with. We can fight about this stuff later." She turned half-way back. "And darn you, Spirit-san!"

***

"Why did you throw that at me?!" I whined. "Look at me…" I pulled on my spotted collar. The blood was starting to crust and darken. It would probably never come out.

Sai had managed to get me out of the office before my attitude shifted into something embarrassing and unpleasant.

She sighed. "Listen…Kid…let it go for now about Justin."

I forgot my deranged looking clothes again. "Why?" I asked, somewhat confused.

"If we don't take him along, I may not get to leave Shibusen for a while. And I don't like the idea of you going back to the factory alone." She paused. "That would make me feel _weird…_having to wait to make sure you come back, okay?"

I half-smiled. "I think I'm starting to understand."

She smiled at me. "Then let's do this…and be _done_ with it…"

I nodded, and then remembered something I had been carrying with me. I pulled out her hair ribbons from my right jacket pocket. "Here, they were able to get most of the stains out. But I don't know if you're going to want to wear them still. They're a little ragged."

"Kid…" She took them from my hand and started to fix them into her hair. "Thank you. I wasn't sure you had even remembered to get them when I collapsed."

I felt my cheeks warm. I couldn't bring myself to tell I had had to go back for them.

There were footfalls to our right, disturbing our moment of peace.

The voice was mildly condescending. "You two are always sickeningly sweet to each other, Sai."

She gave him a _faux_ smile. "Nice to see you too, Justin."

I inhaled deeply and bit my tongue to stop from saying something crude. "Justin."

Sai patted me on the arm and gave me a wink with her good eye. "Good Kid."

He walked towards us. "Shinigami-kun, hello. Are you two ready to leave?"

I gave a slight nod. "Yes. We've been informed of the assignment. My partners will meet us at the front gate."

Justin stood at Sai's right; he then pulled her away from me and towards himself by the shoulder. "You're going only as back-up, Shinigami-kun. This assignment is actually for me. I have to retrieve and turn over the object in the factory to Shinigami-sama."

It was apparent I still wasn't getting the full story. "What? The _mechanical_ part?"

Justin gave a slight nod. "The scouting part of the mission was completed by another Meister and Weapon pair. We now know the location of the item inside of the factory complex. I'm going in to retrieve it."

Sai looked confused. "Kid? What's going on?"

My brow furrowed. _What IS going on…?_

I put my hand on Sai's shoulder and pulled her back. "Let's just do as instructed for now, Sai. We have no choice." And the idea of not having a choice made my stomach queasy.

***

I figured I could handle dealing with Justin if Sai wanted me to. I could behave. If I stuck to staying away from them on my skateboard, maybe I could keep my focus on the way there.

But I didn't like the idea of her riding on his bike all of the way back out to the factory. Especially since he wanted her to remain in human form. For a priest he was sure interested in her. And that rubbed my soul the wrong way.

But then again, it might just be me being jealous. And jealousy can be a powerful weapon. I have no doubt that it will be part of the reason I try to hurt him in the end.

"Kid? What's wrong? You're flying erratically." I could hear Liz's voice in my ear.

"I'm not used to going as backup, that's all." I lied.

Liz sighed. I had the feeling she could see through my words. "You know…it's okay about to be upset about it…" She muttered. "He does tend to want her attention…"

I remained stoic on the matter. "This isn't the time to discuss this."

Patty giggled. "Kid's always so serious…"

Liz was quick to contradict her. Her voice was low. "Ya know…it might help if you were more serious sometimes…"

***

We landed a few minutes later outside of the factory. As I melted my skateboard back into my hand, Sai hopped off of the bike and joined me at my right.

She looked at my in concern. "Are you alright? You look a little peaked."

I looked down at the ground, and then at the factory wall. "I'll be fine."

Justin parked the bike next to the wall and stood in front of us. "We can go in from a hole in the wall around half-way around." Justin crossed in front of us, and started walked around the complex.

His take-over of the situation grated me. "I know. I was here when it was made." I pointed out.

We walked around the side of the factory compound in silence. I had a little comfort in the fact that Sai held her arm wrapped around mine. It was the best I could have. With the sisters' Weapons in my hands, it wasn't possible to hold hands.

In the inner courtyard, Justin called for us to stop.

Justin turned around and reached out his hand. "Sai, shift forms. You shouldn't go any further in human form. You're physically weak still."

I eyed Justin. "My Father said she was going in as a Meister. You're supposed to be the Weapon in this case."

Justin shifted in place, and the dirt made a rustling noise. "The two of you don't know what we're looking for, and we don't need two Gun Meisters on the same mission."

Sai lowered her head. "Kid. Don't worry about it, okay. I don't mind." She shifted into a brilliant violet light. A five-foot long sickle appeared in his hands. The red in the familiar sawtooth patterned blade had been replaced with purple. She was like Soul, but obviously different. Smaller, lighter, and closer to what one usually considered a sickle for the fields.

There was a flicker of light on the blade, and I could see Sai's form in the darkness. I felt bad that I had lied to her about not being able to see her. But I didn't feel bad for my actions in the next few moments.

I pulled my right arm back towards my chest, swung it forward, and let it smash Liz's Weapon form into the side of Justin's face. Justin stumbled back a step, and put his left arm to his face. He looked over it at me with venomous eyes. He retained his hold on Sai through out.

Liz and Patty were simultaneous. "Kid!"

Sai stuck her upper half out of the blade. "Kid what are you doing?!"

I scowled at him. "He treats you like you're a _thing._ Have some self-respect, Sai. The Shinigami have their pride to mind."

She sighed. "Kid, please….I asked you to let it go for now…"

The tense situation was broken by a thunderous roar that shook the walls.

Sai's eyes were wide. "Guys….I think we have company…"


	34. Chapter 33 Send in the Clowns

_Chapter 33 – Send in the Clowns_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Sai**

There was a second roar, and the wall to Justin and mine's left exploded outward. Parts of wooden crates and dust started to rain down.

Liz's fear was loud enough for all to hear. "Ahh...Kid!"

I could hear yelling, but from which man I wasn't certain. "Sai! Stay down!"

I hide back inside of my Weapon form for a moment, but either way it was impossible to see through the dust and debris.

I saw nothing, but after a few moments I felt rhythmic movement. Justin was running and the rhythm was the pounding of his feet on the loose ground. After a few moments, I was able to see again. It was then I realized we were alone.

I wiggled in place, shifting in Justin's hand. "Oh no you don't, I see what you're trying to do." I complained.

Justin kept running. "Like I said, he's back up for this assignment. I need him to keep whatever's following us occupied."

I shifted back to my human form, caused Justin to come to a sudden stop. It was either that, or having him fall over me, as I had landed stooped over on the ground in front of him.

Justin's balance was offset and he wavered in place. "Sai! What are you doing?!"

I looked up at him. "You left him behind on purpose!"

Justin huffed several times and came to a stand-still. "No, I didn't. Like I said…"

I shut my eyes tight and hung my head. "I don't care what you said! It's what you didn't say! You did that on purpose because you two can't get along!"

He exhaled noisily. "You're letting your emotions get in the way. I taught you better than that."

I half stood and prepared to run from him. Justin grabbed me by the shoulders and held me down. He was obviously serious.

"If I had said that, you would have refused to change, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe I should have." I muttered.

I could hear his voice behind me, his vocals rushed. "Sai, think about it. He'll be in more danger if he has to protect you, too."

_He's right, I'm not thinking about this the right way._

His eyes were soft. "Sai, _please._ Just listen to me, for once." He pleaded, offering his hand. "You can go back to being angry at me later, alright?"

I huffed. "Alright." I took his hand and shifted back to sickle mode. "Let's do this."

***

**Kid**

"Kid…" Liz whined. Her voice reverberated in my right ear.

With Justin and Sai gone I was left to deal with one of the reasons people kept disappearing. I kept firing, and it kept coming closer. While still on the ground, the monster was twice my height.

"What _is_ it, Liz? This _isn't _a particularly good time…"

A box to our left exploded in shards of wood. I jumped and kicked back a half dozen feet and clouds of dust rose from the ground.

"Clowns….I hate clowns…" She muttered.

It moved about like a crab on three legs. It wore a white mask and had a white body, with blue stripes down one of the legs it tottered on. Its right arm ended in a gaping, sawtooth lined jaw that appeared capable of ripping limbs from bodies.

The monster swiped at the wall and a section of duct work flew at me. I flung my right arm up, and the metal bounced off of Liz's Weapon form. "Now is _not_ the time, Liz!"

I returned fire. There was something strange about these monsters. _The way the bullets ricochet…the noise…its just a machine…_

"But…" Liz whined.

I felt both my eyes and voice expand as I went back to firing. "Shut up, Liz!"

Patty started to giggle, and Liz's voice was tiny. "Sorry Kid."

I sighed. _You aren't the only one who hates clowns…_

*******

**Sai**

There was no real entrance. The main building of the factory was worse than the outside walls. But the inside was…more like a deserted circus ring.

"Justin! What's that?"

There was a blue and white star-patterned ball in the middle of the room. A bronze, sword-like object was sticking out of it on one side.

He walked up to the ball. It nearly came up to his waist. "This…I believe is what we are looking for."

I could hear shuffling noises.

_But what are you looking for…?_

I was confused. "Justin, what did you say? I think there…"

He was examining the ball, running his hands over the surface and examining where the oversized-key was inserted. "What's did you say?"

I looked around in the darkness. "Didn't you hear that?"

"No." He didn't seem interested in my issues at the moment. Or maybe it was because he couldn't hear, or…there were too many options in a strange place like this.

The voice came again. _You rely on others a lot, don't you…?_

"No I don't!" I yelled, shutting me eyes. I had assumed it was Justin.

No response. Justin couldn't hear me. It couldn't have been hi.

I realized it was the voice of little girl. _You expect other people to save you…_

There was movement behind me and I turned around in the darkness.

It was a little version of me, standing in a spotlight. It was like finding Little Kid again, except it felt like a less positive experience. It was stressed in a simple black dress with its hair down. My ribbons were missing on it. This was me from a time when they didn't exist.

It looked like me, but its presence didn't feel like me. It was like looking in the mirror and seeing someone else.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Its lips moves, but he sound didn't seem to come from it. It simply echoed in the darkness. _You expect other people to protect you…_

Those words made me bitter. "No I don't."

The Little Me took a step forward and the spotlight moved with it. I was looking down at it, as it looked up at me. _Then why do you act weak, when you are strong…?_

*******

**Kid**

Standing above the machine on the inner wall, I had gained an advantage on the attacking machine. It continued to swipe at me, but it didn't seem able to climb the wall itself. The material was lose and fell on its head comically at it struggled to reach the sisters and I.

"Kid! Look!" Patty shouted. Her words rung out. "It's making a hole like I did!"

Liz sounded angry. "Don't be proud of that now!"

I had an obvious problem. I had backed the robot against the wall of the factory, but in firing I had leveled a part of the wall, opening a hole.

_I wish I knew where they were…they may be in danger if this thing gets away from me…_

At my right was a higher part of the wall. I was able to take a clean leap upwards, putting us farther from the clown. I was able to see behind the clown and into the building.

Justin, and Sai as a sickle, was in the clown's shadow; and Justin appeared oblivious of the roar of the machine.

*******

**Sai**

The Little Me appeared to want an answer. _Well?_

I went on the defensive. "I'm not acting weak. I'm recovering."

_The only things that need recovering now are the men in your wake…_

The red and black sawtooth-patterned _kama_ appeared in my hands. "Shut up!" The _kama_ burned my hands. I flicked them and the _kama_ disappeared.

An image of Justin appear in the spotlight behind Little Me. Its mouth moved, but the voice was more of an echo. _Is that the best you can do…?_

My eyes stung. "What do you care?! You're the one who abandoned me!"

Its mouth moved. _Do you remember what I told you the day I left?_

I huffed. "No. Why should I care?!" I yelled.

The image of Justin turned around and started to walk away in the darkness. _You've spent so much time being angry you don't even _remember_ why I left…_

I looked up. I couldn't remember for some reason. "No, wait! Then tell me if it's so important!" I yelled at the specter.

Light appeared from below, and the darkness around me and Little Me blew away. The ground below was now purple water that rippled. There was finally a horizon, at which the sky was a dark purple. It lightened at it moved up, and when I looked up, I found it ending in a pure white above my head.

I looked ahead again. Justin was still walking ahead of me. "Wait!"

The image of Justin crumpled and blew away in a breeze that didn't seem to exist outside of that point in space.

For a moment I was alone. The silence was so heavy I could hear the rushing of blood inside of my head.

The water rippled from my left. I looked in the direction it spawned from, and the image of Justin reappeared facing me. _You're angry and you don't even know why…_

I huffed several times. "I'm angry because you left me there!"

He said: _I left you so you would move on! _And blew away again.

I concentrated and the image of the sickle form I had been previously appeared in my hand. "Stop that!"

The water rippled, and I turned. Justin had rematerialized behind me. _It is easier to do that here because this is the inside of your soul. _The specter shifted several feet to its left in a blink of an eye._ What is keeping you from doing it on the outside?_

I didn't know the answer.

The vision of Justin stared me down. _You're holding onto the past. You want things to stop changing, don't you? You want to hide in a Weapon form, don't you?_

I held the sickle at my waist, and bent over it in anger. "That's not true!"

The vision of Justin blew away once more. _You're afraid no one will like you if they saw you they way you are now…that's why you're hiding your abilities…_

I stopped and looked up. _What _was_ stopping me…? What _is_ my limit now? _The water below me glowed. _I have to be willing to push myself. I have to move forward. Even if my old abilities are dead, that doesn't mean I've lost anything._

That was it. I was refusing to accept the changes in me.

"I will accept whatever I have to, to go into the future with those around me." I muttered.

I saw images of my friends and family in my head. People who were counting on me to me as much as I could.

The sickle glowed and the staff lengthened. The support handle shrunk and disappeared into the handle. The blade grew thicker and longer. The staff was black and matte, and the blade was the traditional sawtooth pattern in black and purple.

I was a full-sized scythe, finally.

*******

**Kid**

Over the roar of the mechanical clowns I could hear Justin yelling. His words were muffled, but I could make out him yelling Sai's name. "Come on Sai, this isn't the time for this!"

I jumped over a pile of broken crates. I pushed him at the shoulder, gaining his attention. "Justin! What's wrong?"

He was shaking Sai's Weapon form, and knocked the end of the sickly on a large blue and white ball in the room. "She's unresponsive."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and looking in the sheen of the sickle. I could see a dim version of her form, but she didn't appear to be fully there. _Like I would respond if someone was doing that to me…_

There was a secluded corner behind an entanglement of ductwork. "Put her over…!" I started to suggest, pointing. Justin jogged towards the corner, having figured out what my thinking was.

I was unable to finish my sentence, however. My words were cut off by a swipe from the mechanical clown's oversized hand, tossing me back a near dozen feet. It ripped the front of my jacket, and several of the buttons scattered.

I was now only a few feet from the wall behind me.

"Darn you!" I hissed.

It swung at me again, but this time it had no where to throw me back into and I had no where to escape to. I threw up my right arm to protect my face, but it wasn't the machine's target. It ripped at my left arm, and blood spurted from any number of punctures. My arm went limp, and even though I knew it was there, I could barely feel it.

"Kid!" Patty yelled.

Her Weapon form in my left hand started to glow as I tried to retain my hold on her Weapon in my damaged hand. "Don't change!" I yelled.

Shots rang out as Justin returned and started to fire at the clown's head, a revolver having appeared in his hand. It drew the clown's attention, and gave me a moment to jump from my position.

Having come around to the machine's right I lifted both arms and fired. Upon pulled the trigger on the left, blood ran out from my arm and puddle below. It was unpleasant, but it was do-able. I just needed it to stay attached.

*******

**Sai**

I was finally released from the inside of the darkness of my soul and reappeared in the real world again with a flash of purple light. I was sitting on the ground. "Sorry guys. I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

When the brightness of the flash cleared from my eyes, I realized there was no response. I was in a corner away from the action. "Justin? Kid?"

I crawled out from behind a rack of ductwork. "Guys?"

Looking around the corner I noticed the machine clown. _Ugh…don't really want to go out there…what do I do…?_

Justin and Kid were engaged in fighting. I saw Kid eye me for a moment, and then return to shooting. "Justin!" I yelled.

He looked over at her swiftly, jumped back several feet, and extended his arm. "Come on!"

I nodded, shifting my form again. "Right!"

*******

**Kid**

A flash appeared from the right, and reformed in Justin's hands as an oversized scythe appeared in his hands. He swung it in a circle twice, and brought the blade down and to his right.

The clown's attention was drawn on Justin and Sai and it halted attacking. For a moment nothing moved.

Justin's voice was low despite the noise. "Kid…prepare to charge your Death Cannon."

I stood still. "It'll garner its attention."

He stared straight ahead. "I'm going to cause a distraction."

I didn't have much choice. This was the one shot I was going to get. "Alright."

"Sai…?" He whispered.

It was nearly impossible to hear her, even in the quiet. "Yes…"

"Ready?" Justin whispered.

"Yes." Her voice was firm.

Justin lifted Sai above his head with a roar, and threw her at the wall at our right. The clown stormed several steps in her direction. Before landing in the wall, Sai shifted back to her human form and bounced off it and down to the floor. When she hit the floor, a smaller version of the scythe appeared in her hands, and she used it by slashing at the clown's neck, leaving it partially embedded.

I only had a moment, as she was backed against the wall. I started to charge the Cannon, and blood seeped from my arm, and down the barrel. Over the sight of the blood, I was having trouble focusing. I wasn't used to hemorrhaging this much.

"Kid!" Liz yelled. "We're ready!"

I looked up and through the scope for the weapon in my eye.

"Kid! Hurry!" Justin yelled. There was slight panic in his eyes.

_Sai's near my line of fire…_I realized.

I could barely hear her over the rush of blood in my ears. She must have known I'd be shooting at her. "Kid, fire!" She shouted, looking down.

I was so involved in ejecting the barrels I missed the flash of light. That might have been a good thing considering my level of worry.

*******

**Sai**

As the debris settled out of the air, I noticed dark spots in the ground. I followed the trail of blood led to wear Kid was standing. "Kid…why are you bleeding so hard?!" I asked in shock.

Kid was pulling on the rags of his left jack and shirt sleeve with his right hand. Tufts of soaked wool and silk came off in his hand. He examined them for a moment, and then let them drop to the ground. He repeated the process a number of times. "It's a jagged cut; it doesn't heal _nearly_ as fast. This may need medical treatment…or at least bandaging…it's somewhat messy." His voice was flat.

My brow furrowed in worry. "You might make it worse doing that. Maybe you should leave it covered." I started to reach for his arm, but he stepped to the side.

He smiled, but it was unconvincing. "I'll be fine. Meet me back at Shibusen." He started to walk back to where the clown had burst through the wall. Liz and Patty appeared to be waiting for him.

I wanted to sulk about the idea of going back without him, but it wasn't the right time. "Alright."

Justin put a hand on my left shoulder. "He'll be fine Sai. Let _his_ partners take care of him."

_Partners…no. I will find my own way to do this…_

I slapped his hand away. "If you have time to be condescending, you can go get the stupid sword-thing out of the ball finally so we can _all_ go home."


	35. Chapter 34 Schematic

_Chapter 34 – Schematic_

**Sai Summers**

I had managed to be rid of Justin when we arrived back; he left on the pretense that he had to turn in what we had found to Shinigami-sama. As a result I sat alone on the wall at the large porch, in front of the school's main entrance. Kid returned on his teal aerial skateboard about a half-hour after I arrived at Shibusen. He was still wearing his tattered coat and looking worse for wear, but I was more concerned about the dark expression on his face. When he touched down, the guns from his hands disappeared, and the sisters appeared behind him.

Liz stretched. "That was a long trip. I'm so stiff…"

Kid interrupted her. "Liz, Patty, return to the mansion and bring me a change a clothes. I can't go around looking like this."

Liz gave a slight nod and her face fell. "Sure Kid." She looked a little sad, perhaps at Kid's attitude. She pulled Patty's arm, and they started down the long staircase to the ground level of the city.

Kid came towards me. "Hey…you're back…." I started.

He grabbed my left arm with his right hand. "You come with me." He said flatly, and started to drag me towards the school's front gate.

I grimaced. "Kid! What's wrong? You're hurting me."

Kid didn't respond. He didn't even turn back and look at me. I realized something was wrong, and it was likely serious. I tried to pull back, but he had an iron grasp. He pulled me along several hallways, and a number of students noticed us. A few groups people who noticed seem to whisper amongst themselves when we passed by them.

His pace was brisk, and I was having trouble keeping up. He was close to actually dragging me. "Kid, stop! People are looked at us…" I begged, huffing.

Kid came to a halt outside of the infirmary's hallway door. He pulled it open abruptly with his injured arm. He released his arm grasp from my arm, relieving the pressure, but then put his arm on my upper back and pushed. I stumbled slightly as I ended up in the clinics entranceway area. His attitude was starting to disturb me. "Kid…?" I asked quietly. "What's wrong...?"

He slipped in behind me into the room, and closed the door behind him. For a moment Kid leaned against it with his head slightly bowed. I could see the dark expression on his face, despite his hair hanging down in front of it. Suddenly he leaned forward, grabbed me by the upper arms with both hands, and pulled my face towards him. His eyes were narrow, and there was rage in them.

"Is your life worth so little to you that you would let Justin risk it _so_ easily?" He hissed.

"Kid…" I started, but I had no real response for me. For once I was genuinely afraid of him.

He shook me slightly. "I gave you part of my blood, _my life_…and you act like its nothing." He paused and exhaled loudly several times. "Why are you're willing to throw away your life so easily?!"

I was confused. "I'm not! I don't even understand what you're talking about!"

He squeezed my arms, and his voice grew louder. "Then why did you trust him?! He risked your life today!"

My voice shuddered. "But I'm fine now, Kid!"

His face flushed red in anger and he shook me again. "But what if you weren't? What if I had shot you? Then what?!"

I hiccupped a sob. "Kid…I trusted you…t-to not hit me!"

His face fell, his anger streak having been broken. He pulled me closer and put his forehead against mine; his skin was cold, but his forehead and hair were damp. He loosened his grip on my arms. "You have so much faith in me…I'm not sure I've earned it." He muttered.

My eyes were damp, but I blinked it away. "Sorry…" I sniffed.

There was a rustle to my left. A slightly-heavy set woman in a nurses' uniform entered. "Is everything all right? Someone said they heard shouting. I was in the…Oh goodness, your arm!"

Kid pulled back and released my arms. While his left arm didn't appear to be bleeding still, it was evident that there were untreated gashes and his arm was caked in dried blood.

The nurse waved at Kid. "Come with me. We need to get that cleaned up."

She walked around behind me, and Kid and I followed her into the main area of the infirmary. She pulled out a stool from under the middle bed in the room and pointed to the edge of the bed. "Go ahead and sit on the edge so I can take a look."

Kid did as she instructed, and the nurse examined his damaged arm. "It doesn't look quite as bad as I first thought it did, but we'll still need to clean it up and dress it." She pulled open the drawer on the nightstand table to her left and looked inside. "Hmm. The gauze I have in here is a little thin for what we need." She rose from the stool and started to walk back into the other office. "I'm going to the storage room for something better. Wait right there for me." She disappeared from sight.

I sat down on the edge of the bed on Kid's left. I noticed worry on his face. "Are you still upset at me from before?"

He half-smiled. "No. The fact that you place your faith in me makes me feel somewhat better. That's not what's really bothering me at the moment, I presume."

My eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

He leaned forward and tried to look into the adjoining room. "Don't say anything on it until after we leave."

I confused, and somewhat worried. "Okay…"

Kid's tone of voice was serious. "That thing we went to look for…there was something like that in the papers I found in the library. A line drawing of it."

I inhaled quickly. _What does that mean?_

There were footsteps and the nurse returned with a roll of gauze and a plastic tub of what I assumed to be water from the splashing noise. I rose up from the bed and stood at its side. The urge to ask Kid questions was high, especially when every so often during the bandaging he'd eye me with serious eyes.

After she finished cleaning and dressing the wounds – with Kid's arm was covered from his wrist to near his shoulder in gauze – she put the tub to the side. The ruddy colored water made me a little sick to my stomach, so I tried to avoid looking at it.

"I'd like you to wait a little while, to lay down for a bit." She stood and pushed the stool back under the bed. "I was told you had some significant blood loss, even for you."

He shuffled himself back to the center of the bed and turned to lay out on it. "That's fine. I don't plan to leave until my partners return with new clothes for me." He stated, shutting his eyes.

I watched the nurse open the double-doors on the lower half of the nightstand. She pulled out a folded blue blanket, and then turned to hand it to me. She closed the doors back, and they shut with a light thud. She picked up the supplies she had brought in and turned around; she then crossed behind me. "If you two need anything let me know. You're welcome to stay until you feeling up to leaving, Kid." She then left the room.

I held the blanket against my chest and watched in the direction she had left. "She probably wonders how we end up here so often."

"I wonder that myself, sometimes…" Kid mumbled.

I dropped out the blanket and let it unfold towards the floor. I threw the end that was away from me on the end of the bed, and used it to cover Kid. He inhaled and exhaled loudly, and his eyes remained shut. I sat down on the bed at his right side, and put my left hand on his forehead, brushing back his hair. "You're clammy."

He grimaced slightly. "I'm tired…"

I brushed his hair back down, and returned my hand to my lap. "You need rest, Kid. The last few days have been tough on you physically."

He opened his eyes slightly. "I know. But now I have concerns about what that key…or sword, or what have you, is…"

I doubted he was going to let it go for now, so I opted to ask my questions anyway. "Is it really a drawing of that item itself? What are the chances that whoever wrote those notes saw the _actual_ item considering what was roaming around there?"

His brow furrowed. "Hmm. Probably not very good. The drawing is probably a copy of a technical line drawing from the original book."

I chewed on that thought. "So…someone who actually saw that item made the original drawings. And that book is missing…"

Kid turned to me. "Whoever did the original drawings must have had access to the item itself. But how…?"

There was no answer for his question.

I tried to add to his thoughts. "And even if they had just come across the item, _and_ managed to deal with what we did today…why would they leave it there? Why stop and make a drawing _but not take it?_ That makes no sense considering how easy it was to remove it from the location after dealing with the clown."

Kid turned away and looked towards the end of the bed. "And…it has to be of value…otherwise my Father wouldn't have wanted Justin to retrieve it." He whispered.

I realized something was wrong with that thought. "Kid…how did Shinigami-sama know that item was there if no one's been able to leave when they go there? The number of deaths must be…I mean, it took _three_ of us just to get the thing…"

Kid's eyes opened wider. "My Father _knows_ something about this item…I need to know what we're risking our lives for."

I sighed. "You need to rest."

He bit his lip. "I can't rest while this is happening."

I squeezed his right hand. "You have no choice, Kid. You look exhausted."

There was a knock at the door, and Kid turned abruptly to me. "Say nothing to anyone. This needs to remain a matter between us." He stated flatly.

I smiled and nodded. It was somewhat amusing watching him play private eye, but I knew his concerns were valid.


	36. Chapter 35 Pandora's Cliché

_Chapter 35 – Pandora's Cliché _

**Sai Summers**

**Wednesday**

With the chaos of the last few days having drawn to a close, things were slowing back down to a normal pace for Kid and me.

This meant it was time to deal with Stein's test "punishment."

This is not to say I didn't try to get us out of having to take it. Earlier this morning, following lecture, I asked him if the previous week's activities would be sufficient "practice" and if he would consider them a suitable substitute for the written exam. He laughed sadistically, and then patted me on the head in front of the remaining students. He then reminded me the exam was being held on Friday morning...and that being late was an automatic failure.

This left me trying to study. I planned to study on my own, but Kid asked if he could join me. When I asked him why on the way home to Soul and Maka's apartment, he had no real answer for me. I just assumed he had something on his mind.

I hadn't grown used to him _not_ saying whatever he thought.

Our "study session" was not without its problems. Kid retorted every so often that being a Shinigami meant studying was necessary. I debated about that concept for a moment and made a quick decision after looking at the study guide he gave me. I must not be _enough_ of a death god, because I was sure I couldn't pass Stein's test without studying.

We found the apartment empty, yet I opted to have us study in my room. I assumed that at some point Maka and Soul would return home for the night. Or at least Maka – she was strict about being home early and going to bed at a reasonable hour.

Sadly, this meant no late night parties at the apartment.

During what little free time I had had over the last two weeks, I had moved a small floor table from the living room into my bedroom to use as studying table. If I was ingenious and determined enough, I could turn it into a _kotatsu__(1)_ in my spare time. Ironically enough, when I was at home alone it got little use. Likely a sign I don't do enough studying.

Kid didn't appear to have brought any textbooks related to Stein's exam. They appeared to be some of the books I had found him reading from the day I had met him in the library last week. Books about Independent Weapons. I presumed he had read them all once already, but was still looking for answers. I'd already given up on trying to pry the questions to whatever he wanted to know out of his mind.

We sat in silence reading for a while. I was intent on passing this exam, whether or not I could get Kid to act with the same conviction.

Kid broke the silence. "I wanted to let you know I'm going to be gone for a few days." He said quietly, still looking over his book.

I looked up from a chapter summary on Resonance skills. "Where are you going?"

He flipped several pages in the book before answering. "Some little town along the Baltic. Shouldn't be a big deal."

I looked at him in curiosity. "This is the first time you've mentioned leaving the city ahead of time."

He shrugged and didn't look up from his work. "Eh. I figured you might wonder where I was if I was suddenly gone for two or three days, unannounced."

I didn't know what to make of his statement at first. I wasn't used to having to worry about someone being gone.

Kid pulled out a piece of blank paper from under his reading material, and a pencil. He started to draw and shade something.

_So do I tell him that's really cute, or refrain_…I wondered.

I gigled. "Oh…um, thanks for telling me. I would have started to wonder after a day or two…"

That came out wrong. _Why did I tell him it would take a day for me to start worrying?!_

He didn't respond, and there was a gap in the conversation. There was only the sound of the graphite pencil scratching against the paper.

The silence bothered me, especially if he had plans to be away under less than ideal conditions. "So…what's in that town?" I asked, trying to act nonchalant.

He laid the pencil down on the paper and looked up. His eyes were soft. Asking him more about the situation must have been a good idea. "There's talk of some dragon harassing the people." His gaze seemed distant at the concept.

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, a _dragon?"_

He grinned. "I have plans to do something investigating when I arrive. It has to be part of some local legend." He paused. "Despite some of the strange things I've seen lately, I've _never_ seen anything close to what I consider a living dragon." He blinked and pointed behind me. "What's that?"

I turned half-way around and looked in the direction he was gesticulating. When I had reorganized the room I placed the desk on the wall that was behind me behind me. This left it on the outside wall opposite the door. He was pointed at something on the desktop.

"That box?" It was about a foot long, but only eight inches deep. It was wrapped in a plain brown shipping paper. "I found it this morning on the kitchen table. Maka left a note that said it came last night, I guess. I haven't had a chance to open it yet."

In a blink of an eye Kid was standing behind me examining the box from multiple angles. He picked it up and held it out in my direction at full-arms length. "You need to open it."

I turned around fully and looked up at him from the floor. "Um, I will. Don't worry about it." I waived his concern off with a hand gesture.

"Open it." He repeated; his attitude towards the box appeared unwavering.

_There's something bothering him about the box…_I decided.

I took it from him and examined the box, turning it around and over. The shipper appeared to have had trouble wrapping the box. The ends of the paper on the box were closed differently.

"Kid…" I laughed lightly, ripping off the paper. Kid returned to the other side of the table looked less irritated now that the paper was being removed.

Inside the paper was a brown shipping box. I popped up the flaps and found a second, slightly smaller box inside – this one a matte black.

I couldn't come up with a logical reason to pack something in a box twice.

Or there was for the safety of the item in said boxes, and I was simply becoming more like Kid in my desire to have things neat and extremely organized.

I tried to tone down the concept of being irrational about shipping boxes in my mind. The idea that I would be genuinely bothered by it disturbed me.

I picked up the packing paper and looked at the shipping label. I noticed it had come from Connecticut, and my brow furrowed at the information. "That figures. It's from my mother's house."

Kid's eyebrows lifted. "And that means?"

I sighed and started to open the inside box. "It's probably something random that I don't need. I don't know how she even _got_ my address."

I popped open the second box and found a third box inside, but this one was the actual contents. It was a jet black, lacquered box that stood on four, short feet.

A note attached to the top of the box read:

_I found this in your father's things and thought you could use it. - Mom _

I set the box down on the table, and I lifted the top. It was lined with red velveteen, and appeared to be both a jewelry box and music box combined. There was a mirror lining the top of the box, and a small, silver winding mechanism in the lower right corner.

I shut it abruptly, picked it up, and started to look at it from various angles.

Kid appeared confused. "Why are you turning it over?"

I answered him without looking. "My father was supposedly an eccentric, who knows what this thing _really_ does."

There didn't appear to be anything unusual about the exterior of the box, so I set it back down and reopened the lid, and wound the silver key mechanism.

Nothing happened.

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "Ah, it doesn't work anymore."

Kid raised an eyebrow. "Why would your mother send you a music box that was broken? That's not a proper gift."

I couldn't help but be disappointed. "Err, my mother's got some problems…so anything's possible."

He tried to sound positive while looking it over. "Maybe we can fix it. Now where's the gear box?"

I stared at the box. "I would guess it's attached to the bottom board. This doesn't seem to be a complicated piece of machinery."

He studied the music box. "Alright, so he question is, how do we get it open without breaking it?" Kid lifted the front left corner of it, and then set it back down. He eyed it with the look of an inventor or investigator.

When I noticed that look, I eyed him and then my books – in concern. "You know, we should probably be studying."

He acted snide. "I believe you mean, _you_ should be studying. I don't need…"

I pushed the box into his hands, cutting him off. "Then _you_ can fix it. I'm working."

"I wasn't being serious…" He started, and then cut _himself_ off with a sigh.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and returned to my reading.

Kid blinked in mild confusion, and then proceeded to study the box. The inside was lined with blood red velveteen, and there were several inserts to hold various jewelry pieces. He started to remove it piece by piece and line them up on the table.

I went back to reading; this time about Weapon forms.

_It's keeping him busy and actually lets me study…can't complain, I guess._

Several minutes went by, and the silence returned.

It was broken by a clacking noise. Kid was holding the top of the box in the air to the side of his head, and it appeared that the bottom had fallen out. He was looking down at the bottom of the box, and my assumption was correct – the gearbox was glued to the bottom.

Stuck in between several of the gears was a folded piece of white paper.

Kid set the top of the music box on the table without looking. He yanked the paper from the gears in one swift motion and began to unfold it. He inhaled quickly. "Sai…look at this…" He started, holding out the piece of paper.

There was a loud, rapid knocking at the outside door and I looked up towards the door. I rolled my eyes. _Oh, come on! Go away…_

There was a brief pause, and then the knocking started again.

"Sai!" A voice yelled. I could tell there was a woman at the door.

It was a voice I recognized.

"Coming!" I yelled back; the knocking then ceased.

As much as I didn't feel like rising from the floor, I did so and jogged to the front door. Kid languished in the bedroom doorway.

I unlocked the door and held it open. I was surprised by our guest. "Tsubaki! What are you doing here? Where's Black St…?"

Tsubaki's dark hair hung forward, and there was sadness in her face. She bit her lower lip while speaking. "Sai…it's Soul, he's been hurt."

* * *

(1) A heated table.


	37. Chapter 36 Turn Key Life

_Chapter 36 – Turn-Key Life_

**Death the Kid **

I blinked. _"What_ happened?"

Tsubaki was reserved. "They were attacked at a church today in Florence, Italy. Professor Stein was able to get to him in time, so they were able to stabilize him there and bring him back to the Shibusen for surgery." She paused. "Stein finished the surgery about an hour ago."

I could see a tear run down Sai's cheek, despite her efforts to contain them.

_What terrible timing…I have to leave town within forty-eight hours…_

"Maka said she'll be home shortly." Tsubaki shifted in place, and hung her arms in front of her. "She was reluctant to tell you to come to the clinic because she knew about the test. She said you should study."

Sai sniffed and tried to smile. "Heh. That's so like her."

I stepped to Sai's right side. "And like Soul. He'd be upset if he knew how upset you are."

I could see shadows moving behind Tsubaki in the hall. Looking up, I found Liz and Patty standing behind her. She turned slightly, the movement catching her eye, and Tsubaki took a step to her left. Liz and Patty slide by her and into the apartment.

"Kid, we hadn't heard from you so we decided…" Liz's face showed growing confusion. "What's going on?"

I didn't feel like answering, but did so anyway.

"Soul's been hurt." I told her quietly.

"How badly?" Liz asked of me, and then looked at the expression on Sai's face.

Patty took a moment to be serious, and put her right hand on Sai's left shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be okay, Sai."

Liz moved to stand on Sai's right, and leaned over slightly. "Yeah, Soul's strong. I wouldn't worry."

Things appeared calm for the moment.

And that moment quickly ended.

I glanced up at Tsubaki, planning to ask her to step inside so the apartment door could be shut. I assumed it wasn't proper to have it open – not that this was my home or anything. But…I noticed that she was looking down the hall, and there was shadows moving on the wall behind her.

A breeze blew through the open door and through Sai's bedroom. The paper that I had found in the music box floated into the bedroom doorway. It caught Sai's attention and she crossed the room. Sitting on her heels, Sai knelt down and picked it up. I stepped to doorway, leaning against the frame, and watched Sai read the paper.

If I had been able to _read_ the words, I would never have handed it to her.

Rage filled her ruby eyes and her expression went dark. She crushed the paper in her right hand and threw it on the floor.

What was causing the shadows now made itself known. Tsubaki suddenly jerked herself to the side, and Justin came pounding in. He was in such a rush that his white ear-buds fell from his ears. He came to a screeching halt at Sai's left.

Sai didn't acknowledge his presence; she stood up and stormed into her room.

He watched her leave. "Sai! Where's that box…?!" Were the first words out of his mouth, and were the only ones anyone heard.

The rest were cut off by Sai's rampant screams in anger in a language that clearly wasn't English.

Justin's eyes circled around the faces in the room, and then put his right hand into his blond hair. "Oh Kama-sama, I'm too late aren't I…" He muttered. Justin dared to take a step closer to the open doorway. "Sai?!"

The upper half of the broken music box came flying from the room, smashing into Justin's right arm. He tried to grab it, but it fell to the floor, breaking the lid off. Sai came back to the door, and stood in front of Justin.

Everyone could hear her yelling, but it was only possible for Justin to make out the words. Due to her tone of voice though, I just assumed that most of what I was hearing was little more than calls of anguish and a string of profanities. All of it in a language I didn't recognize.

Except for one word: _Stein._

_Professor _Stein?_ What does he have to do with a box from her mother's house?_

Justin went to return his ear-buds to his ears, and Sai yelled something at him. He scowled and shouted back in what I could only assume was the same language.

This was quickly getting out of hand.

I looked over at Tsubaki, who continued to linger in the doorway. "Come in and shut the door!" I yelled in her direction. "We don't want the neighbors calling the police over the noise."

I caught Liz eyeing me in irritation. "Why don't you do something about the fighting, then?"

I took a step towards Sai, who abruptly turned to me. "The Professor knew my father, and he's been hiding it!"

That didn't make sense. _Why hide such a thing? _

I knew I must have looked confused. "Um..._what_ was that?" I asked.

She turned back to Justin. "And this one tried to abscond with the evidence of that."

Justin started to panic and wave his arms in gesticulation. "No, I didn't! That wasn't it! Please let me explain…!"

Sai snarled. "Wasn't what? Explain what, the truth? What do you know about it?"

"You don't understand…!" Justin started. "Stop being irrational!"

My mind couldn't wrap around any of it, and I was losing my focus. "Stop this!" I let out in a shout. "Stop _arguing_ about this…whatever this is!"

The room went silent. Everyone stared…at _me._

I paused, and tried to calm down. "How do you know Professor Stein even remembers him? You said, what, it's been what…seventeen, _eighteen_ years, since he went missing?"

Sai _seemed_ to calm down. "Heh. _Mr. Logical_ to the rescue, huh?" She giggled.

Something inside of me grew angrier, however. _She's mocking me. I know it._

I grabbed Sai's left arm and swung her around to face me. Her eyes widened and she lightly gasped.

"Shinigami-kun, let her go!" Justin yelled. "If you're going to get angry about this, get angry at me!"

_I'm doing it again. I'm getting angry when it's not necessary. I don't want to be like this. _

Sai put her right hand on my left cheek. "What's wrong with you?" She whispered.

_I don't understand. I need to be able to understand. Tell me._

I shut my eyes for a moment, as the anguish floated out of me. "It's frustrating to not know what's going on. I can't be proactive."

I opened my eyes, and saw that there was sadness in hers. "You're still cold, Kid." She said, stating the obvious.

_I know…and my mind is…_

I saw motion behind Sai and I looked up. Liz stood up from the couch where she had taken a seat during the fighting. "Maybe…we should go." She wondered aloud while eyeing us. She looked somewhat uncomfortable at our interaction.

Sai suddenly turned around, and the warmth of her hand abruptly left my face. "Wait, please. You all deserve an explanation." She stated, and then eyed Justin in displeasure. "Except you. _You_ have some _explaining_ to do."

*******

The group spread out amongst the furniture in the living room. Or more appropriately, the floor and what furniture Sai and I weren't sitting on. I was so used to hiding my emotions that I was still surprised when no one commented on me placing my arm around Sai's shoulders. It was instinctual, for some reason – both parts.

She was quick to take over the conversation. "Alright Justin, how did you know about the box?"

Sitting in the chair at my left, Justin looked uncomfortable with the immediate direction of the conversation, and he scratched the back of his head. He leaned forward in his seat, wrinkling his robes. "I went to visit Professor Stein at the Patchwork Lab yesterday. I had a question for him regarding our previous assignment. When I went there, the box was there. He said it was for you, but the apartment address was wrong, and the post office simply forwarded it to the school. He said he planned to drop it off tonight. I offered to bring it by the apartment – and I brought it last night. And you found it this morning."

Sai shfted slightly in her seat and I had to adjust my arm. "Maka left a note with it before she and Soul left, but she never told me how it got here."

His brow furrowed. "I didn't connect the return address with the sender until this evening. When I realized it was from your mom, I assumed whatever was in it couldn't be good."

There was confusion on Patty's face who sat on the floor in front of the couch across from me. "Why is that?" She asked, raising her hand for attention.

Sai tried to play the situation off as a acidic joke. "Because my mother is, as they say…_mentally ill."_

Her face expressed the connecting of information. "Oh, you mean like Kid?"

I covered my face with my right hand. The rest of the room chortled or looked confused.

Sai giggled. "No, not like Kid, Patty. A different type of illness."

I frowned at Patty, but she took no notice. Her mind appeared to have moved onto the next topic already

Liz turned to Sai. "What started the fight?"

Sai's attitude and voice hardened. "The paper we found in the gearbox of the music box."

Liz bent back over the back of the couch and pointed at the broken pieces of the top-half of the box. "That thing?"

"Sai…" Justin started. "Do you _really_ want to bring this up?"

"My friends got to witness something I wouldn't want them to see. The anger that I have towards parts of my past. I think they deserve to know."

He inhaled and exhaled noisily. "Alright then."

"The box itself belonged to my father, who was a bit of a recluse." She paused. "But he was extremely smart. And it was his intelligence that got him submitted into Shibusen. But…he couldn't find a partner he was 'in tune' enough with to resonate his soul with. So it was decided that he would study other subjects…and he became fascinated by the concept of the Demon Tools. He spent copious amounts of time studying gears and engineering and…Weapons as tools. Some people even said he was obsessed with the concept of the Demon Machines – things created for the soul purpose of harnessing the power of the soul."

"Anyway, Tthe letter in the gearbox is written in my second language of Icelandic. I learned it during the five years I spent living there after my mother packed me up and booted me from the house. The first four-and-a-half I spent with Justin, the last six months I spent with a family. When everything was secured financially, I moved here to Nevada to attend Shibusen."

Tsubaki, sitting in _senza__ (1)_ on the floor, seemed disturbed by the words and frowned. "Your mother…that's cruel."

"She was never able to _fully_ adjust after finding out that I was both a Weapon, and my father's disappearance. She eventually was able to understand _some_ things about my abilities, but she's _never_ accepted my father as being gone. She won't even have him listed as 'presumed dead' even though no one can find him. She assumes that even after nearly 18 years that he's somehow just going to show up at home and everything will go back to the way it was when I was a baby."

Liz's eyes widened. "She _seriously_ thinks that?"

Sai grinned, but it was a farce. "And that's why I say she's mentally ill."

I turned to her with my own question. "Sai…why did you keep saying 'Stein?'"

Sai grinned."Because the name kept coming up in the letter, just like you figured out earlier."

I could feel my cheeks warm. "I realize that wasn't the best way to handle that, earlier."

Liz rolled her eyes. "No way…"

Sai nodded. "But you're right…there's no way to know anything about the relationship. We don't even know who wrote the note. But when I saw the Professor's name, anger was all I could see. And since my father did Shibusen and would be around the same age as the Professor, the having his name in the letter could simply be a coincidence."

There was a rattle of keys in the door, and it opened before anyone could get to it.

Maka stood in the doorway, holding the front door open. Her white button-down shirt was un-tucked from her skirt and she look ragged. "Sai...I'm sorry."

Sai tried to smile at her, but it was weak. "It's not your fault, Maka."

Maka went to shut the door, and aloud thudding sound was heard. She looked visibly confused, and then reopened the door.

Black Star had tried to come though the door and she had tried to shut the door in his face. The sound had been the impact between the two.

His forehead and nose were red. "What was that for?!" He demanded, waving his arms in anger.

I hung my head and sighed at the sudden, loud voice in the room. "Black Star…you're too loud for the room. Shut up."

Black Star sat down on floor crosslegged, next to Tsubaki; he continued to scowl, but now only at me.

Maka shifted around Black Star, who was sitting in her path, and took a seat on the couch on my left. "I'm surprised everyone's here."

Sai seemed embarrassed. "Sorry about that…things have been kind of hectic."

She sat with her hands in her lap. "No, I'm glad. It was nice to come home and not be alone. Thanks."

*******

Several hours later, Justin stood at the door waiting to leave. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to get away without another direct encounter with him.

As I sat on the couch, he looked over in my direction while standing at the door. "I need to be on my way but Shinigami-kun, would you step outside with me for a moment before I leave?"

_You're the last person I would want to have a private conversation with! _ "Regarding what?" I asked cautiously.

"Your current assignment." Was all he would say ahead of time.

Sai, half-asleep next to me, turned and looked at me. "What's going on?"

I stood and pulled my arm out from behind her head. "I'll be right back."

She snorted and shut her eyes. "Don't kill each other out there…" She requested.

I followed Justin out the door, and pulled it shut behind me.

Justin was serious about the matter and wasted no time with idle chit-chat. "Another Meister and Weapon pair was attacked by the Demon God last night." He paused. "And there may have been other attacks we simply don't know about yet. Students who are part of the other Meister institutions."

I could feel the scowl on my face. "Why didn't you say anything in the room?"

He was unfazed by my comment. "I knew you had plans to leave, and I didn't want to upset Sai."

The statement made me caustic. "I find that statement amusing considering how often _you_ do it."

His brow narrowed. "Never mind that! This is important."

"Then I think I must be missing something."

This time he obviously avoided my comment. "It was the Death God…the _Kishin_…that attacked Soul. The only reason they survived is because Professor Stein showed up."

It was starting to make sense. "And you think its running around attacking Shibusen students indiscriminately, I take it."

Justin's eyes looked solemn. "Actually, it's Shinigami-sama that thinks the students are its current target."

I clenched my fists. _Something else he hasn't told me…_

"Then why are we still on assignment…" I muttered aloud, my irritation growing again. "Forget that, I just need to see my Father."

I instinctively started to walk away from Justin and the apartment and towards the stairwell, but he grabbed my right arm and pulled me back.

His voice and eyes both seemed flat. "Don't go now. Stay with Sai tonight."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. _"What…?!_ This is important!" I complained.

His voice turned bitter. "What if its _you_ that gets attacked next, and you don't come home?"

The thought made my blood run cold for a moment. "That's not…!"

Justin's eyes were angry and his voice bitter. "Possible? You should _seriously_ reconsider that stance before it gets you killed, Shinigami-kun."

_I'll reconsider whatever I want! Except…_My brain started to slow down. _Darn it, people _are_ getting hurt over this nonsense…_

I looked down at the beige hall carpet, and sighed "Fine! I'll wait till the morning." I took a pause. "Release my arm." I grumbled.

He did as I requested, and I took a moment to straighten my jacket.

Justin didn't appear to be fully engaged in what was going on, as he stood silent for a moment. I noticed his far-off gaze, and something struck me. I knew that look; I had been accused of wearing it myself. He turned away and started to walk down the hallway towards the building's stairwell.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" I asked quietly.

Justin stopped several steps away and half-turned. I noticed his eyes were angry – but he chose to not refute my accusation.

_This situation is getting ugly, very fast…_

He turned away quickly, and was gone from sight within a moment's notice. I turned and pushed the apartment door back open.

Maka had returned to her room, and the rest of the group was scattered between the couch opposite of Sai, the two stuffed chairs, and the floor. The rest of Sai's couch was unoccupied, so I opted to lay out on it on my back. She held a pillow in her lap, and held onto it with both arms across it. She instinctively moved her arms when I went to lay my head down. She put one behind the pillow and my head, and the other across my chest.

Sai bent down and put her forehead against mine; her hair fell over my face and tickled my skin. Her voice was light, and she giggled slightly. "Thank you for not killing each other in the hall."

I was surprised to find a smile break out on my face with the current atmosphere. "You're welcome."

*******

Maka disturbed my quiet sleep just after dawn.

"Kid! Wake up!" She whispered, shaking me right shoulder. "I almost forgot. I've got a message for you."

With my head still on the pillow resting in Sai's lap, I squinted in the early morning light. "A message?" I covered my eyes with my right arm to shield them from the sun.

She leaned on the arm of the couch. "Yeah, from Professor Stein."

With my mind foggy, that perplexed me. "About what?"

Maka's tone of voice was serious. "He got word about a problem in the Baltic."

That wasn't news to me. "I already knew about the disappearances, I'm leaving tomorrow morning after Stein's test."

"No…_all_ of the people at the place you were going to have disappeared. The news he originally received was wrong."

The comment jarred me, and I slowly sat up. "Wait, now _everyone_ in the town _has_ disappeared? My Father had said it was only three people."

"There was a miscommunication, I guess. So Professor Stein 'highly suggested' leaving this morning instead." She made quotation marks with her right hand at the suggestion.

I was agitated, but for the wrong reasons. "Why didn't you tell me last night?" I asked, slightly louder than I had anticipated.

Sai stirred and stretched. "Hmm. What's wrong, Kid?"

Maka looked embarrassed. "It slipped my mind, Kid. With everything that happened…You_ know_ I'm not usually like that."

I put my elbows on my knees and leaned forward. I was disappointed, but unsurprised by the news. "Don't worry about it. I should have expected it after the last assignment."

Others in the room started to stir. Liz yawned and stretched; Tsubaki sat up, looking unusually awake for someone that has spent the night curled up in a chair. Black Star and Patty continued to snore – one on each end of the couch – though, and the noise was obnoxious.

Sai leaned forward and set the pillow on the floor next to her feet. "What's going on, Kid?"

I turned my head to look at her. "I have to leave today, instead of tomorrow."

She was half-wake; she rubbed her right eye with her right hand. "Alright." Was all she said.

I leaned more forward and stood; I literally had to drag myself up. "Liz, Patty, wake up. We need to get going."

"But it's so _early,_ Kid…" Liz complained. "Can't we sleep a little longer?"

I stuffed my hands in my pant's pockets. "There's been a change of plans. Get up. We're leaving town."

She languished in the chair, sulking. "Kid~I haven't even taken a shower or put on my make-up or…"

Liz was trying my patience, and my words came out louder and harsher than I had anticipated. "Get up! And get Patty up too! We have to go back to Shibusen before we can leave. I need to see my Father."

Liz conceded finally, rolling her eyes. "So much for a shower…" She muttered. "You're so _demanding…_"

I went to reply to Liz, but I found Sai stood at my left suddenly, holding onto my jacket sleeve. "Kid…don't fight it."

I blinked and turned towards her, but her head was lowered and I couldn't see her face. "What?"

Her voice was unsteady. "The _Kishin_…if it shows…don't fight it."

_She heard us last night…she heard about Soul…and Justin…_

I put my right hand on the left side of her head. "Sai…I'll be fine."

She grasped my sleeve harder. "Stop acting like that!" She yelled suddenly. "You never take being hurt _seriously!"_

The sound was loud enough to rouse Black Star and Patty from their sleep; both moaned and sat up.

_This isn't the time for me to get emotional,_ I determined. _I have to just _go_…I can apologize afterward…_

I took my hand down from her head, and looked away. "Take care of Soul. He needs you right now." I told her quietly. I pulled my sleeve free and went for the door. With my hand on the knob I stopped. I tried to keep my voice flat. "I'll be back Friday morning for the test. Meet me at the school, and we can talk then."

No one stopped me from turning it, or leaving the apartment. The room was silent and unmoving.

There was a sudden shout of "Damn you!" from the apartment, and I realized I couldn't get mad at the profanity, or the insult.

I leaned against the wall to the right of the door, covering my mouth with my left hand; I was feeling nauseous from the stress.

_This whole thing makes me _sick_…_

_

* * *

_(1) Kneeling in the Japanese fashion.


	38. Chapter 37 Breaking the Habit

_Chapter 37 – Breaking the Habit_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Friday**

**Sai**

Friday found me waiting at Shibusen for Kid. My anger had cooled, but I still was still less than pleased with his lackadaisical attitude towards his own safety.

_But you can't make a man worry about himself…_

The patio was empty when Kid returned. No lectures were held on Friday mornings currently. And as it was the middle of the semester, no one was taking classes too seriously to begin with. The only person you might find on campus on a sunny day like today might be Maka.

He returned around twenty minutes after I arrived and have taken a seat near the stairwell on the patio. Just before his skateboard could hit the pavers, Kid jumped down and landed lightly next to it. The pistols flew out from his hands, and hung in the air for a moment. He absorbed the green and red board into a cloud of black, back into his left hand.

The gun on his right shifted into a pink light and. Liz shimmered back into existence. "Wheew." She exclaimed while stretching. "That was a long trip." Patty appeared on his left, but was silent for the moment.

Standing from my seat on the edge of the patio, and I turned my attention to Kid. "It's about time. The test is less than twenty minutes from now."

Perhaps being passively negative was _not_ the best idea.

He paid more attention to his appearance than what I was saying. He brushed off the arms of his coat and adjusted his collar.

Liz walked over, stood in front of me, and eyed me in suspicion. "You seem a little dressed up to come to school, is that for any particular reason?"

She had caught me, and I turned to her quickly in embarrassment. I had picked out a form-fitting black dress, black and white overcoat, and a ruby necklace and earrings set. I had even gone to the trouble to set my hair in waivy pigtails.

"Eh, never mind that." I told her quietly, feeling my face turn warm. I turned to Kid, forcing his attention. "Are you alright?" I asked, fidgeting in place. I was nervous at having to confront him after our last parting.

Liz abruptly pointed at Kid, interrupting. _"This one_…made us row in a boat in the damn ocean!"

I was surprised Kid let the foul language go. _His mind must be elsewhere for the moment…_

The incongruity of the concept caught me off guard, and my train of thought temporarily derailed. I turned to her in confusion. "Wait…who takes a rowboat out to sea?"

Liz grew both angry and excited; she waved her pointing hand. _"Him!_ And he wouldn't even row it! He made us do it!"

I felt embarrassed at being associated as a Shinigami, suddenly. I half-turned my head and viewed Kid from the corner of my good eye. "Kid…isn't that a little…elitist?"

He straightened his tie and smoothed his hair with him right hand. The deep emotions in his eyes were difficult to read, but his voice remained smooth and composed. "I had to keep watch." He turned to his right, and his eyes narrowed on Liz. "Why does it even matter, now?"

I sighed and I decided to change the subject; this looked to be a sore spot between the two. I was unopposed.

While I was unaware of what had happened in the Baltic; I could only use the look on his face as an indication of the severity. "Kid…what about this missing people?"

Kid started to pick at a black string hanging from the label of his jacket; it diverted his attention for the moment before he spoke, leaving a gap in the conversation. "Ended up being more serious business than I had expected."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The reason for the disappearances was a ship that was killing and stealing the souls of the people of the cities it came into contact with. It was essentially eating people."

I tried to keep my voice level, but it was difficult with that news. Even after seeing the robotic clowns that consumed people, the news made me nervous. "Eating people…were you able to save anyone?"

Kid's expression went dark. "Everyone was already dead."

Patty giggled and danced in place. "Sister got _eaten_ by the boat!"

My shoulders sank and I turned to her. "I'm sure that's not something to make fun of. People were being killed by that thing…"

Liz ignored Patty's comment, yet her face lost color. "Sai, it was _so_ scary! There was this _weird_ fog; and this _giant_ ship – the Nihogg - and it _ate_ people! And I got lost and this little girl ghost showed me around and she _yelled_ at me! I _totally_ wanted to cry…" It was hard to tell if she was still panicking, or wanted someone to listen.

Patty danced in place, and shot her right arm into the air. "And then the Kishin showed up, and we got into this _big_ fight! It was really exciting!"

Liz's shoulders dropped. "Patty…you shouldn't…"

I inhaled, and by breath was ragged. "Kid…I _begged_ you to not do it…"

He remained stoic. "I'm a Shinigami, it's my duty to make sure that…"

I pulled back my right arm and slammed my right fist into Kid's jaw; causing him to fall backwards. He hollered a noise without words, and went tumbling down the top flight of stairs. If I had been closer, I might have heard the thud of him landing.

Patty laughed and waved her right arm in circles. "Shinigami Punch!"

Liz's jaw dropped, and her face blanched. "I…was not expecting that." Was all she could say.

I looked over the edge of the stairs. Kid was ranting in a language I didn't recognize, waving his fist in the air.

Liz joined me in looking. "Oy, he's mad. He's yelling in _Japanese."_

I simply stared down at him. Being angry was something I couldn't fatham at the moment. My mood was foreboding, but my words remained kind. "I _just_ wish he'd stop running around trying to get himself killed, that's all I want." I paused. "I don't know what I would do if he was hurt as well."

Liz laughed darkly. "Don't worry, the fight didn't last long. He got distracted by the scenery and we lost track of the Death God." She sounded mildly bitter.

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

I watched Kid stand, and then turned my full attention to Liz.

She waved her right hand downwards. "Don't tell him I told you; he'll be mad at me. But _yeah,_ once the ship went down, the fog started to clear." She paused and looked to her right, making sure he wasn't within ear shot yet. "When he saw the sun and clouds he went into 'the world's symmetrical' mode." Liz made quotation marks with her hands at the concept.

I was confused and somewhat in awe of his ineptitude of handling reality. "How _does_ he get anything done?"

Liz waved her hand in front of her face and giggled. "Sometimes I wonder that myself."

Kid appeared at the top of the stairs. His anger appeared to be cooling, yet his gaze remained depressed. "I heard that." He stated flatly, stuffing his hands in the pockets' of his pants.

When he came to a halt on the patio, I saw the string hanging from his coat. It bothered me; perhaps not as much as him, but I couldn't deal with it handing loose in the wind.

_I shouldn't do it…but I can't help it…_

I ran my hand fast against the label, and the string snapped off in my hand. I flicked my hand against his chest and the string blew away.

Kid stood for a moment in silence, yet he didn't appear surprised. Perhaps he wasn't surprised that I was adapting into some of his patterns or habits.

I grabbed his hand, trying to pull him along after me. He was mostly cooperative, and I didn't feel much physical resistance. "Let's go take the test. I'm ready for it to be over."

*******

As we walked along the school's hallways, I needed to ask Kid was the real situation in the Baltic had been. His expression was too strained for there to have not been a serious problem.

I watched the floor as we walked, and I tried to keep from sounding anxious at wanting an answer. "Kid…what really happened out there?"

His words and voice were short, and he didn't make eye contact when he spoke. "What Liz said is correct."

I inhaled deeply. "That may be, but I'm under the impression there's more."

Kid's eyes remained locked on his footsteps. "She's not aware of the problem."

I stopped in my tracks. "What do you mean?"

Kid came to a halt and looked up. "I'm under the impression there's more than one _Kishin_."

My eyes widened, and I chortled sarcastically. "More than one Death God? Kid, you're _not_ being serious."

He turned his gaze and his gold eyes were softer than previous. "While, I'm not one to take the word of an insane ship captain seriously…"

I bit my lower lip, silencing my laughter. "Kid…spit it out…"

He sighed. "The ship captain…the one who controlled the ship…said he collected the souls of the citizens for the _Kishin…_which he said was 'closest to me'…closest to Shibusen, I presume."

Kid's description was difficult to comprehend, and my brow furrowed. "So you're saying…"

He turned away and began walking again, watching his feet hit the floor again. "I believe Shibusen may be hiding the _real_ Kishin."

*******

It was only the two of us in the lecture room, and surprisingly enough, Stein didn't care if we sat next to one another. I had suspected a talking to about something – anything – relating to this test. Sure I had some idea what it was about, but I hadn't expected it to be…difficult. _Maybe I should have considered spending more time studying…_

The test was primarily fill-in-the-blank and short answer. Things you could answer in a sentence or two at the most. It shouldn't have been difficult for anyone. Except for someone who has trouble taking tests – I noticed Kid start to write his name on the top of the test, filling in each letter perfectly. He hadn't begun to answer any of the questions by the time I had finished the first page of questions. I remembered the whole reason he was retaking the test, and I abruptly snatched the pencil from his hand,

His gold eyes flashed on me in anger. "What are you doing?!"

I smiled sweetly, holding the pencil out. "Why don't you try writing your name last, hmm?"

The look in his darkened gold eyes signaled he didn't believe my cutesy act. Or perhaps it wasn't the time for me to play as such. _He must have so much on his mind…_

Kid's eyes narrowed and he tried to pull the pencil from my hand. "What? That's not how…give me my pencil back."

I laid the kind attitude on thick, but retained a firm hold on the writing utensil. "For me? Just try?"

"Fine." He grumbled, surprisingly laid back. "Release my pencil."

I smiled at him. "Hmm. Mr. Formal Language, aren't we?"

His eyed narrowed, but I released my grip on the utensil. He pulled it from my hand and I watched him start to fill out the first question on the test.

I couldn't help but feel a little elated inside. I admit I was taking a little pleasure in watching him fight his demons out in the open.

_That must make me sick in the head…_

*******

We waited as Stein graded the exams; I was understandably nervous. I couldn't help but pass about the floor of the lecture room in anxiety. Kid seemed far more calm – either that or his mind was else ware.

"Very good. Two passes." He set the exams to the side. "I'll consider the assignment with the _Nihogg_ as your practical, Kid. It was more difficult that I had anticipated." He scanned over a sheet on the desk. "That means you're both caught up with the work."

_Nihogg…the name of the ship that captures souls for the Kishin…_

I nodded and tried to smile. "Thank you, Professor."

Kid had no positive response; he stood motionless with his hands in his pants' pockets and his dark hair covering his eyes. I wondered if the possibility of Shibusen hiding such a dark secret may be too much for him to handle, and continue to function normally.

There was a moment of silence in the room and I shifted my gaze to Stein. Kid's attitude was causing anxiety to fill the room.

Stein shifted in his seat at my sudden attention, and eyed Kid from above the lens of his glasses. "Kid, would you give Sai and me a moment?"

There was a pause, then Kid eyed me; he then eyed Stein in what I assumed was suspicion. His expression was dark and one of displeasure. "Shall I meet you back at your apartment in an hour?"

I turned to Kid and gave him a nod as well. "That's fine."

Kid eyed Stein in displeasure, then turned and headed for the door. Watching his back, I could see his head was still hanging. I debated if he was trying to deal with the possibility that Shibusen was carrying a secret that could endanger many or if it was something else.. Kid pulled the lecture room door open cleanly with his left hand, and slipped out of the room.

"He obviously doesn't trust me." Stein paused and watched the door for a moment. "Hmm. Leaving you here alone is certainly _not_ something he enjoys." Stein said. He pulled out his cigarettes from his left lab coat pocket. Watching him light and smoke was like watching a system of steps of performing levers. Popping the package from the bottom, he pulled out one with his mouth and held it there. He fished in his right pocket for his silver lighter, and used it to light the cigarette. He then dropped it into his right pocket. "Can't say I would blame him." He inhaled and held out the cigarette with his right hand. "He's _highly_ agitated right now about a number of things."

_And I'm sure _you_ have nothing to do with it, actually…_ I cut my own thoughts off and tried to focus. It wasn't something I could even speculate on.

I slid my gaze down and to the right; I stared at the floor to the right of Stein's desk. "He's upset with me, I'm sure….We've been fighting." I lied.

Stein inhaled from his cigarette, and then exhaled smoke. "I _highly_ doubt that." He said smoothly. "He's _far_ angrier at something else."

My eyes narrowed. _Why are we talking about Kid…?_

I fixed my gaze on Stein, and held my left arm with my right hand. "Did you want me for something, Professor?"

He brought his left hand palm down hard on the desktop. "Yes! I hear you have uncovered another weapon form. Let's see it." He seemed to enjoy putting me on the spot. He sat watching from the desk in eager anticipation.

I concentrated and I visualized the shape of a spear in my mind. I stuck out my right hand and it warmed. With a light flash of violet light, a weapon appeared. I turned and looked. Its shaft was the same matte black of the scythe. The two ends held blades that were cut in purplish-black.

But it wasn't what I had visualized. It was a double-ended spear – a double lance. No matter how many times I repeated the actions, it was the same response. I never seemed to get what I had created in my mind. It was like my mind and soul were feeling disconnected at the moment.

I sighed in dejection, and then looked up at Stein "But it's not what I'm visualizing." I paused. "It's not…it's not what I'm _wanting_ to see in my hand." I muttered.

Stein stared at the weapon intently, his light eyes flickering with realization. "We've got a gap between your mind and your soul." Stein watched the lance intently. "I guess it's not too surprising considering what your body has gone through." He sighed, but it wasn't one of dejection or rejection. "As an Independent Weapon, your body is the gate way between what you see in your mind's eye and what you create with your soul in the real world." Stein tapped his right hand's fingers on the desktop. "We will just have to spend more time refining what you see in your mind to compensate for your damaged body."

_He's acting like I'm broken…_

But I couldn't argue; what he said at least made sense as I watched the lance in my hand. And it wasn't a problem I could combat on my own. I would need help.

There was a sudden, loud knock at the lecture room door and we both turned towards the noise. A brown-haired male student I didn't recognize stuck his head into the doorway. "Professor Stein, there's a fight outside!"

Stein turned back to the desk and began to stack his papers into piles on his desk. "Who is it?"

The man seemed unsure about the situation, and his voice seemed nervous. "Shinigami-kun…and someone I don't recognize. He doesn't look like a student."

The possibilities were a confined to a short list, and I felt a ping of anger in my chest. _Damn Justin. Now what?_

Stein set his papers to the side and looked up at me. "Shall we go see what's going on?"

I turned back to him, and put me left hand on my hip. I was quick to intercede in the situation. Stein giving authoritative attention to the situation could make things worse. "It's Kid and Justin…I'm not getting involved in their fight."

He leaned his arms forward on the desk top, and stood up from behind the desk. "You don't have to get involved…" He grinned. "…to use it to your advantage."

My eyes narrowed; I didn't like the idea of taking advantage of Kid. "What do you mean?" I asked warily.

He adjusted his frames with his left hand and smile. "Have you ever seen the soul of an angry, _jealous_ man?"

"What?" I hissed. _This isn't going to be pretty…_

Stein stepped around his desk and headed for the door of the lecture room without further notice. "Come with me…this will be helpful." He stopped and held the door open for me and I was compelled to follow his path. "We're going to see if you if you've gained any soul perception abilities from the transfusion."

*******

**Kid**

Having control of my name-writing issues at the last moment, the test had been less of a challenge than I has expected. Apparently most of my problems with taking it had really been in my mind.

_Not that I will let on about that…._

Stepping out of the front archway of Shibusen, I found Liz and Patty lounging at the patio's railing. And if it had just been them on the patio, I would have been much happier.

I could hear a voice I recognize float from the far end of the patio, growing closer as it approached. It was a light, high pitched male voice I was beyond tired of hearing.

"I considered the question you asked me the last time we met. Are you interested in hearing my answer?" Justin questioned, coming to a stop half-way across the patio.

As I continued across the patio in his general direction, I had a simple answer for him: "Not particularly." At that point I half-turned back. "Liz, Patty, let's go. I need to attend to a few things."

"Al~right!" Patty giggled, dancing in place.

Liz sighed happily, pulling herself up from her seat. "I am _so_ in need of a shower…"

Justin stepped clearly into our path, blocking my exit off of the patio. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear." He was attempting to sound threatening, but it would take more than that to faze me at the moment.

I came to a stop, and frowned at him. "I'm not sure I neither understand your position, nor care that much."

His tone was dark and grim. "We'll, as a great man once said, 'give me chastity, just not yet.'"

My eyes narrowed. "I take it that's your answer."

"It is." He stated flatly; he stood stoic and refused to move from my path.

Without turning back, I addressed the sisters. "Liz, I apologize, the shower will have to wait a little longer."

Her shoulders sagged. "Are you _serious_….can't you two just fight like normal guys…with, like, fists and stuff?"

"Shinigami Punch!" Patty yelled, throwing her right fist into the air.

"Eh….not quite Patty…" Liz groaned, putting her right hand to her forehead.

Justin seemed to be contemplating the situation. "Perhaps she's right. No weapons." He put his right palm up and forward.

I blinked. "You must think I'm an ignorant fool."

Justin's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm well aware of your ability to produce a weapon using your body. It is the hallmark of the Independent Weapon." I glanced to my left. "Liz, Patty, let's go."

"Yes!" Patty yelled.

I put my arms out from my chest, and I could feel the warmth of the pistols in my hands. At the moment I held them at my sides.

"Kid…" Liz whined. "I wanna…"

I snorted and stood my ground on the patio. "A challenge is a challenge. We take all challenges seriously, Liz."

Liz sighed. "Ehh…when _am_ I going to get my shower, Kid….?"

*******

**Sai**

Stein and I stood away from the fight between Justin and Kid. No matter how much I wanted it to end or to separate the two; he was insistent that it become a leaning lesson in Soul Perception.

"Try to find their centers of the emotions." He told me.

Irritation was building at having to stand by on the fight. I watched Kid throw a kick at Justin's head, and Justin try to slash Kid's face with the blade extension of his robes. "I am. I just don't _see_ anything when I look at them."

He wasn't buying it. "Then try harder." He told me between puffs of a cigarette.

I inhaled deeply and got a lung full of tar and "I can see that their souls are dissimilar."

Stein inhaled from his cigarette. "That's not specific enough – _of course they are_, they're two different people. _Anyone_ could get that much, Meister or not."

I rolled my eyes. _What the heck do you want from me…?_

Stein showed an evil grin, leaning over my shoulder. "I saw _that,_ by the way…"

I scowled. _And I'm sure you'll see a lot more of it…_

I lightly shut my eyes and concentrated harder. I could see a white light from Justin, and a dark, almost black, light from Kid

"It's like one is white light and the other is dark light." Was the best I could come up with – I couldn't help but think it sounded cliché.

Stein ashed his cigarette on the patio. "So which one is the _truly_ angry man?"

That seemed like a moronic question. "I would assume in this instance, both." I paused, taking in the fact that Kid was trying to shoot Justin in the head with this gun Weapons. "I mean, look…look at this."

"I realize that, thank you." He sighed and tapped his foot. "But only one of them has anger actually festering in their soul. Who is it?"

I tried to sharpen the image. I began to see the shape of their souls within them; larger, lighted, translucent orbs surrounding them.

I could see black, jagged flames coming off of Kid's soul. "I don't know what I'm looking for, but based on what I've read I'd have to say it's Kid." I paused and felt my eyes squint. "If pain and anger have a shape, it might be the shape of those flames."

"Very good." He dropped his cigarette to his right, on the patio stones, and rubbed it out with his shoe. "So, which do you prefer?"

I turned and looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

He was looking down at the ash and cigarette butt at his feet. "I'm asking you which soul is preferable."

Stupid question for me. "That's easy…it's…"

He looked up abruptly and cut off my thought. "Stop. I asked you which _soul _you preferred,not which _man."_

I blinked. _What, now…?_

Stein bent down slightly and looked me in the eyes. "If you could only sense _their_ _souls_…which would you prefer, considering what you've seen? Which would you be drawn to?"

The thought stopped me in my tracks and I was silent for a moment. I simply watched the motion of the two locked in combat.

I didn't want to be truthful on it, and I sighed. I couldn't help but look down, and the ask caught my eye. "Justin. His soul is softer. And…" It was hard to congeal the thoughts into usable sentences. "Kid has a lot of anger right now. It's physically showing in his soul. One might even say he's the 'bad guy' in this instance."

"Very good." Stein patted me on the head. "That's what I wanted you to see. To be honest, I don't care who you're involved with, but their competition makes for convenient lessons." He laughed, putting his arms out. "So see, you're using their anger to your advantage!" He seemed abnormally amused at the thought.

_You're a sick, sick man, aren't you…?_

Stein calmed down. "It's still rough, but we can work on it. Eventually you'll be able to see even more, over longer distances." He inhaled again, and watched the fight. "This might not end for a while. Do you plan to do something about it?"

I was firm on my original resolution as I watched. "No."

"What if I told you I'll fail you for this practical if you don't?" I heard him say. I could almost _hear_ him grinning.

I turned on Stein. "This was…you tricked me!" I growled. "This wasn't about _souls_…you just didn't feel like breaking up the fight…!"

He grinned, and inhaled from his cigarette.

I felt the agitation of my surroundings growing within me. Now that I had begun to feel their souls, I couldn't shut it off.

I watched Justin fall onto his back, and Kid was about to fire towards his face. While Justin seemed to have no panic in his face, and appeared ready to throw up his right arm, I was less sure of Kid's expression – his eyes were wide.

_Maybe I'm missing something…_

I stormed over to where Justin had landed and stood at his left. "Stop it! The fighting's _got_ to stop!" I shouted down at him, but the words got weaker as the line went on.

The fight ended as quickly as it had started. My anger had produced what my soul wanted – even if it wasn't what my mind wanted. I jammed the double-headed staff awkwardly into the space between Justin's chest and Kid's throat.

I looked at Kid.

Kid held his head back and blinked. Holding a deadly weapon at him didn't appear to faze him…much. "That's impressive." He stated. "Much more detailed than the scythe."

I looked down at Justin.

Justin nodded, which looked off from his awkward position. "It is, isn't it? You're making good use of your past training…"

I looked back up at Kid.

Kid scowled. "I hope you don't mean to insinuate you're responsible for her recent success?"

I looked down at Justin.

Justin's eyes narrowed. "I hope you don't mean to say you're in anyway responsible for her recent advancement."

I was tired of the competition for something neither had actually done. I could feel my face turn red, and I pulled the lance down from its awkward position. "Hey…! Pay attention to what…"

The jarring sound of sudden combustion filtered through the air, and the ground shook slightly. The noise caught me off-guard, and I fell backwards, landing on my butt at Justin's right. The lance shimmered out of existence as it landed in my lap.

But neither was looking at me and my mishap. Kid and Justin were eyeing the horizon to my left. Kid had put the pistols down to his waist and had taken a step back. Justin sat up half-way, using his elbows for support. I half-turned to see what had caught their attention.

Something was burning in the distance. Black clouds of smoke and ash rose from the horizon. There was then the sound of a second, larger explosion in the distance. A low grumbling could be heard.

"What is that?" I whispered.

Both of their expressions were dark. There was the sound of leaves and small stones were rustling against the patio stones.

Stein came up behind us and looked out towards the destruction, quietly smoking another cigarette. "It looks like I was right, sadly…" He muttered.

I looked up at Stein. "About what…?" I questioned quietly.

The clouds of soot and ash on the horizon reflected in his glasses. "Another one of the Demon Tools is active…"


	39. Chapter 38 Lone Star State, P1

_Chapter 38 – Lone-Star State, Part 1_

**Sai Summers **

With Stein's words about the demon tools, I turned and looked up at Kid. His eyes were serious; he offered me his hand and pulled me up f rom the pavement. When he pulled me up, he over compensated for my weight, and pulled me into his arms. Kid put his head on the right of mine, and I could feel his hair fall onto my ear and face.

"Watch what you say…" He whispered, holding onto my right arm firmly. Both his words and breathe chilled my ears.

Footstep hit the paving stones behind Stein. Spirit stood behind him, and he avoided idle chit-chat. "Sai. You have an assignment."

Kid stepped to the side, and I was able to face Spirit. "What am I doing?"

"Shinigami-sama wants you to go out to the site of that explosion and investigate it. Shouldn't be too much for you to handle." He paused, and his eyes shifted down and to his right. "But he wants you to go alone."

I narrowed my eyes on Spirit and his cheap suit. "How do you expect me to get out there? That's a day's walk at least."

Footsteps approached again. "You can take Soul's bike." A light, yet tired, voice stated. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

I looked up at Maka who had come up behind Spirit. She cared her yellow sweater in her left hand, and her face showed a lack of sleep. "I feel bad borrowing it again." I told her, watching the pavement in front of me. "I will eventually get my own, I promise. Tell him 'thanks' for me, Maka."

"He'd never tell you no, you know that." She tried to smile, and I wondered if there was a bit of bitterness behind her words.

I tried to make light of the situation. "Don't let anything happen to him while I'm gone." I jested.

Maka looked distraught and I sighed. _Maybe those weren't the right words…I sound like a brat._

I swallowed uncomfortably and stared for the stairs. No one stopped me.

When I got to the end of the patio, I was overtaken with a putrid smell.

I covered my mouth with my left hand and swung on my feet. "What's…what that is _smell_…?" I mumbled through my fingers.

Kid gripped my shoulders from behind and supported me with his chest. His head hung over my right shoulder. "That's the smell of death." He whispered. "When a human dies, the Shinigami can smell it, the more that die at once, the stronger it is."

A squeak escaped my mouth, and I felt unsteady on my feet. Even shutting my eyes, reality continued to spin.

"You'll get used to the smell. Go and get the souls that are there, bring them back. Just that. Nothing more."

"I don't know how to collect the souls." I mumbled.

His hands squeezed my shoulders. "It's innate to the Shinigami. You should have no issues when you're there. Do what comes naturally."

It seemed more natural to run from here to avoid the smell.

The conversation was getting away from me. "Kid, I _really_ don't know what I'm doing…I feel like I'm going to throw up."

He ignored my desire to vomit. "Contact my father if something goes wrong." He sighed. "…in case I'm not here."

"I don't know…" I looked up at his eyes.

Kid's eyes were cold in response. "Sai."

I nodded absentmindedly. There was no point in fighting him – he wanted the conversation to end.

His expression went dark. "And…"

I eyed Kid wearily and shook me head. "No, you don't get to tell me that…" I told him. My words sounded bitter in my ears. "You have no right to tell me to run from it, if you won't…"

Kid simply stared at me. His mouth was twisted in a half-frown; it was difficult to tell if he was depressed or angry, or both.

He blinked and sighed. "I'm going to see Jonathan at the library this afternoon. We should have something back on the papers today. I will also stop in and see Soul."

"Please don't tell him I might run into the Kishin."

His voice was flat. "I have no intention of doing that."

I tried to smile at him. "Thanks. I'll be going now."

I left Kid at the top of the patio and started down the stairs. My heels clacked against the stone stairs.

There was a shadow moving downward at my left, and although my first response was to fight, I tried to remain steady on my feet. _Maybe wearing heels was a bad idea…_

I looked up and found Kid standing in front of me at the base of the stairs. He had bounded down from the patio to meet me. While he stood on the street, I stopped on the first step; even standing six inches higher than normal, I was still a half-foot shorter than him.

Kid lifted his arms. He cupped his hands over my shoulders, and held his forehead against my own. His skin was cool, but not the deep cold I had felt over the last week. There was something warm and comforting about him. I wanted to put my arms around his waist, but he was a few inches too far from my reach.

As his shadow fell across my face, I could see the monochromatic color contrast of the white strips against the black background of his hair. His natural musky odor was a pleasant – and ironic – contrast to the smell of death I had gotten from the souls.

Not surprising, the Shinigami smell better than the dead themselves. Being beyond death's _immediate_ reach has its benefits.

"Kid…" I whispered.

His voice was firm, yet kind. "Be safe."

My voice and soul shook; his initiation of physical contact pulled at my heartstrings. "I will."

Kid took a step back, and a slight breeze blew between us. He half-turned, putting his right side in front of me, and extended his arms in front of him.

"Watch. Focus your mind on the Death Room." He instructed.

He flicked his hands, and produced the sign of the devils' horns using his fingers. On the paving stones in front of him, an outline of the Shinigami's mask appeared as a fuchsia light. When an erratic and distorted image of Shinigami-sama appeared above the outline, Kid let his arms drop back to his sides. Stepping off of the stairs, I stood at Kid's right.

Shinigami-sama was as cheerful as always; even his mask seemed to smile. It was as usual a striking contrast to his son. "Ho ho~! Kid-kun, Sai-chan! I am glad to hear from you."

I raised an eyebrow, and then quickly tried to hide it. _Sai-chan…?_

"Hello Shini…" I had to stop and correct myself. _"Death-san."_

Shinigami-sama seemed pleased at my prescribed informality with him. "I am glad to see you are well." He turned his attention to Kid. "And Kid, your stripes look as _cute_ as always…!"

I eyed Kid and bit my lower lip to keep from giggling.

Kid eyed me in displeasure, and then turned his attention to the holographic Shinigami-sama. "Father, I was instructing Sai how to connect with the Death Room."

Even though the poor connection, it was possible to see Shinigami-sama bounce in place. "Very good, _very_ good." His gaze darkened. "Sai, it's important that you retrieve those souls…and…"

I blinked. "And?" I wasn't aware there was a catch.

His mask shifted into a façade of seriousness, and the eye holes shrank into half-moons. "There's something else I need you to do while you're there..."

*******

Dust clouds, bramble and sagebrush blew by me as I sped through the desert on Soul's red and orange motorcycle. My destination was a remote church with a small congregation, thirty miles north of Death City.

I parked the bike under an overhang of a cave a dozen feet from the whitewashed-walled church. Or it would have been walled had the walls and roof not been in piles of rubble on its floor and sides. The roof looked like it had been ripped apart and had then fallen inward, and the walls were blown out. Only the rear wall, which was flush to a cannon wall and the white-wood front façade, remained standing.

Rounding the near wall of the decimated church, I stood at its front and looked up.

Etched into the façade above the door was the black outline of a star.  
It was that star shape that alerted me to this destination, and my secondary objective.

I stepped onto what had been the left, front door and it rattled beneath my feet. Despite their sturdy hardwood construction, both doors had been blown out as well; the brass hinges looked to have been ripped apart by a gale force wind, and were nothing more than twisted metal. I knelt down and noticed the cement steps were cracked and jagged. I used the fallen doors to cross the threshold.

The smell of death was strong; my urge to run from it was high.

I could see twenty to thirty blue, flaming orbs hanging in space at my eye level.

The congregation was dead, and the reek of death was powerful.

Steadying myself with my right hand on the doorjamb, I reached out with my left to the orb closest to the door; it shrunk and absorbed into the palm of my hand. I lightly gasped. _Oops…hope it's supposed to do that…_

The smell dimmed slightly.

I extended my right hand towards the next closest orb.

There was a tiny sound of pebbles scraping the dirt and I froze. The orb and my arm continued to hang in space. Someone's still here…

The sounds stopped. Nothing moved.

I extended my arm a bit farther and took the next orb into my palm. It dissolved into my hand.

A whisper blew through the dilapidated building: "Shinigami…"

As I turned towards the disembodied voice, the roar of a chainsaw blared through the church, and footsteps wracked the loose floorboards.


	40. Chapter 39 Lone Star State, P2

_Chapter 39 – Lone-Star State, Part 2_

**Death the Kid / Sai Summers **

**Kid**

On my way to see Jonathan, I detoured in to see my Father.

It would end up being a mistake.

I immediately felt cornered and coerced into staying in the Death Room. This was in part due to the fact that Patty and Liz had decided to tag along.

The other part being that as soon as I shut the door to the room behind us, I felt compelled to reopen it and walk back out. When I tried to push the door back open, the handle wouldn't budge – it was locked, and I was locked in.

Anxiety hit fast – _I'm here, and I can't leave… _

I was quickly coming to the conclusion that despite coming of my own free will, I wasn't free to leave – at least not at a time that I wanted.

Liz looked slightly panicked. "Kid…"

"Don't say anything, Liz. This isn't the time." I hissed, with my hand still gripping the door handle.

I pried my hand from the door, and stuffed my hands in my pants pockets. I started walking towards the main platform with a heavy feeling in my chest. _If I let it slip that I'm aware of the gilded cage, it might start a fight…_

Father hopped twice in place. "I'm glad you stopped by Kid, I thought we could take a few minutes to watch Sai on her assignment."

My eyes narrowed. "That wasn't why I stopped in…"

His mask's eyeholes enlarged in faux surprise. "Are you sure?"

Suddenly I wasn't so sure. _No, can't be like that…I'm sure…I'm sure…_

Father cut off my words and thoughts. "Come; sit down and let us take a look at how she fairs."

A square outline appeared on the mirrored floor stage. It lowered itself slightly, and slide under a section of the floor to its right. Out of the floor rose a high-back, wooden chair with long side-arms. The floor slide back into place underneath it with a click.

I sat down in the chair and gripped the arms tightly. It was all I could do to keep myself from getting back up and trying the door again. "I feel somewhat voyeuristic doing this."

Father simply smiled, and I realized Patty stood on my left and Liz on my right. It was feeling starting to feel more like being the ruler on his throne, under house arrest.

Patty looked down at me in confusion. "But Kid, you've watched other people in the mirror before. During the remedial lesson that Soul and Maka had…"

I grimaced; there was no good way to explain the difference to her. "This is…different, Patty."

She seemed genuinely confused. "How so?"

Liz leaned across my space and towards her sister. "Err, Patty, don't worry about it, okay?" She waved her hand downwards.

It was obvious Patty didn't understand, but would follow her sister's request anyway. "Okay…"

I could feel a headache building already. _Just let it go, okay?…there's no way I can explain it…_

The mirror lit up and I could see the ruins of a church in the image.

_And that Sai isn't alone…_

My stomach up-ended itself and I grew nauseous.

*******

**Sai**

"Who's there?" I yelled over the mechanical roaring.

The noise suddenly stopped and I heard footfalls coming around from the façade of the building into the space were the wall to my left should have been.

"Ahh, I was right. It's _you." _It was the gravely voice of a man – the voice of the kind of man who had smoked for a decade.

I was taken aback slightly by his appearance. His hair was reddish-brown and spiked, and he wore a metal bridge on his nose. His white, furred coat was oversized and outlandish. Most bizarre though was the line of jagged metal impaled in his right leg. It ran from the inside of his knee, down and around the middle of his brown leather boot, and back up the outside of his calf, to the outside of his knee.

I was nervous; I hadn't expected to run into anyone out here – and I couldn't help but feel nervous in his presence. "What do you mean, 'it's you'? Who are you?"

He chose to ignore my questions. "I guess Shinigami-sama didn't want to risk sending his son for this one…so he sent his _mutt_ for the job."

My response was immediate and biting. My irritation was enough to draw out a Icelandic accident for a moment. "Goh t'hell."

The man blinked, and his white, fluffy coat blew slightly in the desert breeze. "What? That's what the witches recognize you as…"

I could feel my brow furrow. _Witches…_

I snarled at him. "I don't care about that. What do you want? This place is nothing but a ruin."

He grinned and his blue eyes crinkled. "I came for the same thing you did."

I needed to remain resolute, but I could feel my voice on edge. "I'm under orders from Shibusen. You'll have to take it from me then."

_Not that I've found it yet…_

He chuckled. _"Big _words from such a _little_ Shinigami…"

"I wanna know who you are."

"To be honest, I wasn't going to bother. I suspected you'd be dead when I left. There'd be nobody to identify the killer anyway." He swung on his heels. "But just for fun, I'll tell you my name – you may call me Giriko, in the short time you have remaining."

I put my right arm behind my back. With warmth and a flash of purple, my scythe flashed into existence behind me.

His eyes lit up. "Ohh! So _this_ is why you're special. I can see why Shinigami-sama let his kid get away with what he did."

I tried to mask my irritation as not knowing what he meant. _Why does he know things I don't…?_

"Leave him out of this…" I hissed, bringing the scythe around to my front. I held staff in both hands, across my waist, with the blade down.

Giriko kicked his right leg back against the floor, and the saw blades engrained around his foot and calf roared to life.

"So what's it going to be? Going to go quietly?" He asked with chagrin, and then ran towards me.

I waited a moment too long to realize it was a rhetorical question. Giriko ran towards me and lifted his right leg trying to kick at my chest with the bladed leg. I swung the scythe out, trying to put the blade between us, but I was too late. Instead of the blade, only the two inch wide blade staff stood between his chainsaw leg and my neck.

*******

**Kid**

Watching Sai fight somewhere I couldn't easily be, was a struggle.

I started to squeeze the armrests out of stress; the wood was firm, yet somewhat pliable in my hands. "I need to go. I need to make sure she'll be okay." I muttered, my head hanging down between my shoulders.

Father bounced in place. "Kid, you can't run off and save her every time."

His words stung, but for another reason.

"There hasn't been an _every_ time." I whispered, dropping my head. "The last time I failed."

Father sighed but didn't amend my statement.

I could feel the wooden armrest start to soften in my hands, and faint cracking noises could be heard.

"Kid…relax, I'm sure…!" Liz started, but I was paying little attention to her rabble.

Under the pressure I was exerting, I crushed the armrests in my hands, and I could feel the wood splinter in my hands. Wood shards started to pile up on the reflective floor, at my feet. Tiny drops of blood splattered on the reflective surface and the painted wood that had fallen.

Hosting myself up from the chair, I continued to keep my head down and my hair over my face. Unfurling my hands from the broken wood, the pieces remaining in my hands dropped to the floor, and splattered in the blood and previously dropped wood.

I could hear Patty gasp. "Kid, your hands!"

They may have looked bad, but I didn't notice the pain. The pain was centered in my chest. Not only could I not help now, I was reminded of a previous failure.

The same words ran over and over in my head. _Don't remind me, don't remind me, don't remin…_

I inhaled deeply and raised my head. This wasn't a time to be meek. "I need to go…"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the confusion on Liz's face. "Kid…"

I raised my shoulders high and strong. "I want to wait outside for her…that's all." I paused. "Will you at permit me my leave?"

Father gave a slight nod. "That's fine. I can understand that." He turned back to the mirror for a moment, and the vision of the church disappeared. "And you wouldn't make it in time to make a difference in the fighting, I don't believe."

I wasn't quiet sure what that meant, but I had no desire to inquire more.

I rounded the chair towards the left and stuffed my hands in my pants pockets. They had stopped bleeding, but the splinters imbedded in them caused me some minor discomfort. I was aware the sisters were with me, but my mind was foggy and I wasn't fully aware of their presence in my space. When I had reached the exit, I pushed down on the door handle with my right hand, and found it opened.


	41. Chapter 40 Lone Star State, P3

_Chapter 40 – Lone-Star State, Part 3_

**Death the Kid / Sai Summers**

**Kid**

I had been so ready to disobey my father and fly out to the church, but standing poised between the edge of the patio and the late afternoon sun, I was overcome with the feeling of failure.

His words burned my mind. _'And you wouldn't make it in time to make a difference in the fighting'…_

Liz grabbed my left arm and turned my hand palm-up. "Kid, we should go to the clinic to get those splinters pulled out first." She paused and pulled on one of the larger ones. "They won't come out by themselves."

I could feel the dark, sardonic smile on my face. "He's right…I can't keep trying to save her." I muttered.

Liz's voice clicked and she lowered my hand. "Why do you say that?"

I pulled my hand from her grasp and let it drop to my side.

Taking a step down, I sat down on the patio's edge; I rested my elbows on my knees and let my arms hang over towards the center. "She's got more fighting experience than I do…if I was weaker, she'd probably spend a lot of time saving me instead." I chortled.

Patty sat down on the patio step at my right and sat on her hands. "You're not going out there, are you?"

I let my head hang. My hair blew around my face, obstructing my view. _What's right…? What's the right way to handle this…? What do I do…?_

***

**Sai**

Things were not going well – at least not for the church.

Outside of the walls being demolished and the façade crumbling, Giriko and I had managed damage most of the pews during our fighting. Several had been overturned and at least three were nothing more than shards.

He was far stronger than I had anticipated. I needed help, or an escape route.

It was hardly an even fight. I was feeling ragged, and he didn't seem to be struggling at all. My skirt was already ripped, and my legs were badly scratched. There seemed no way I'd escape without serious injury if the battle continued much longer.

He wasn't necessarily _faster_ than me, but having a weapon on his person allowed him to move with much more freedom in the cramped church. Even if I had managed to suddenly figure out how to shrink the scythe into a smaller, useable hand-weapon, there seemed no way it would serve any useful purpose.

I was playing defense at the moment, and my scythe was barely serving its purpose as a shield. His kicks were fast and I was barely keeping up. He had the ability to attack from both the right and the left, which left me switching my position every few moments. Every time we connected our attacks, a metallic chiming rang throughout the cannon, and vibrated off of the remaining church walls.

At one point Giriko's foot was coming towards my forehead, and I was backed against a damaged pew that had been kicked towards the façade wall and the wall itself. It was already a cramped space, and there was no chance of pushing back against the wall. I bent my neck as far down as I could, putting myself in a contorted position. I felt the saw vibrate against my skull, and I shut my eyes instinctively.

When the noise and vibration pulled back I looked down at the ground. The pigtail from the left side of my head was lying on the ground, blowing in the wind. He had missed my skull, but had sliced off a section of my hair. I had gotten lucky.

I inhaled quickly and my breath became ragged. Giriko had backed up a few steps and I was able to move. I literally fell out of my cramped position and swung my scythe in a circle parallel to my frame with my right hand.

Giriko's brow briefly furrowed and he lowered his head between his shoulders. "There's something _very_ odd about you…"

I bent slightly at the knees and held the scythe in front of me, from the lower right to the upper left quadrant of my space. "What…?" I panted.

He flashed a toothy grin. "Little monster, aren't you?"

_Monster…monster…monster!_

I couldn't help but feel a touch of rage, and I ran at him with the scythe slashing from left to right. But he seemed a step ahead, and was able to bounce backwards each time. Giriko was slightly out of my reach each time. On the third swing his jump was short, and I felt the scythe connect against his chest. While the fur and fluff of his coat shredded, there was no way I was able to damage his chest.

I gasped and looked him in the eyes. It felt like I had tried to cut into a stone wall, and I feel back several steps.

Giriko was still grinning as he ran at me. I tried to scoot backwards, but there was a fallen beam behind my feet. I had unconsciously stepped over it before, but it wasn't as easy to jump over it in reverse. My boot caught on the edge and my arms flew up, weapon and all, leaving my torso exposed. Because I was falling backwards simultaneously, Giriko's kick wasn't able to penetrate my personal space deeply, but his kick did connect. The jacket shredded upon impact and pieces of it fluttered into my view, masking my ability to see Giriko in front of me. I could feel the cold steel and vibration of the saw against my abdomen.

I released my left hand and turned the scythe under my right arm, planting it head-down on the ground behind me as a support. I tripped backwards over the beam but my momentum was halted by the scythe. I placed my feet back flat to the floor, and swung the scythe back to in front of me. I ran my left hand over the jagged edge of my jacket, and I realized my right pocket was gone. There was no way to repair it without cutting it extremely short.

There was also the smell of copper and the feel the trickle of warm blood running down my gut towards my ruined skirt. I instinctively wrapped my left arm around my midsection to reduce the exposure of the wound to the elements.

It was then I realized Giriko had stopped moving, and was looking out past the church into the distance.

Something moved to my left in the distance and caught my eye; I half turned to look. A white light, reminiscent of a lighthouse's beam, shone at the top of a distant cliff. It blinked rapidly twice, and then stayed on for several moments.

Giriko was watching the light, and we could both see it blink several times. "Damn, she's calling…" He hissed.

He turned back to me and grinned. "I guess you got lucky this time, little Death. You'll get to run back to the city and hide behind Shinigami-sama's cloak." Giriko bent down at the knees and jumped up to the top of the façade over my head. I turned around and watched the wall vibrated under his weight. I debated the sturdiness of the remaining supports.

"I'll just come back for what I'm looking for…considering you'll have to run along home for 'medical attention.'" He yelled down, as he leapt down from the roof on the opposite side and took off running towards the spotlight.

Unsteady on my feet, I sat down on the church floor and let my back rest against the side of the overturned pew; I panted in exhaustion. I held my scythe across my waist incase he suddenly returned. _I can't do this much longer…please let him not come back right away…_

I cringed slightly and rolled my head back. Something else more daunting occurred to me. _He's not hurt…I didn't hurt him at all…_

I had been saved by nothing more than a twist of fate.

Part of me wanted to have been saved by _him,_ part of me was glad _he_ hadn't.

I rolled the scythe into right hand and turned the blade away from me. Pointing the head downwards, I used the staff to hoist myself from the ground. The floor creaked as I put the majority of my weight and the scythe's in a single space. But my body felt heavy and disjointed, and I needed the scythe to steady my frame.

I was using a deadly weapon as a crutch.

When I was fully to my feet, I swung the scythe over my right shoulder; I couldn't afford to put it away yet, there was no guarantee I was safe yet.

A blue soul orb floated past the left side of my head; for the moment they weren't my intention.

Towards the rear of the church was the pulpit; a solid wooden preaching stand. Standing in front of it, I switched the scythe from my shoulder to my right hand; I grabbed the lower half of the staff with my left and swung the blade back behind my right shoulder.

_This_ is why I was selected for this assignment. Shinigami needed someone who could desecrate a church and not hate themselves. Or at least not complain afterwards.

It's not because I was strong, or devoted, or even derived from the Shinigami line…

"Kami-sama, forgive me for what I'm about to do." I muttered.

I concentrated for a moment and swung at the pulpit, smashed across the middle. The force caused the top half to explode out and toward the left. The small wooden cross attached to the front was sliced in half. The sound of the smash echoed across the church and the cannon walls. I had to turn away quickly, as the wood splintered and was tossed across the church by the inertia of my hit.

It was a long moment of noise and violence, but just a moment nonetheless.

As the dust and debris settled to the floor, I looked up at the ruined pulpit. Looking over the jagged edge with care I saw what I was looking for. Letting my scythe rest on my right shoulder, I reached in with my left hand. Despite my desire for care, I could feel my jacket sleeve scratched by the wooden shards.

I pulled out a plaque that was affixed to the center of the pulpit. It was approximately the same size as an eight-by-eleven inch picture frame. On the upper left corner it read Death and in the center was a three-dimensional black stone around the size of my hand – shaped like a star. The center of this plaque was the reason for this church. The people had been worshiping one of the demon tools on accident – or maybe on purpose, originally.

In the lower left corner was a second signature. It read "Eibon."

_Eibon…THE Eibon…? What is this..?_

The urge to get the star off and be rid of the black was suddenly absurdly strong.

I flicked my right hand and the scythe shimmered out of existence. I shifted the plaque into the cradle of my right arm and started to try and pull the star off.

It refused to come lose despite looking unattached.

"Damn. I _really_ don't want to carry this plaque." I said aloud, struggling with the star. "It won't fit in my pocket."

After another moment I gave up and held the plaque out to look at it. I turned it slightly and the remaining sunlight of the day reflected off of it at different facets. While Shinigami-sama's signature was illuminated by my position in the sun, Eibon's scrawl was darkened by the shadow of the star.

My brow furrowed. _This…something's wrong…_

It suddenly occurred to me I could read the signatures, and I didn't know why. They seemed to be little more than a collection of scratched lines. I wanted the star from it and to discard of the plaque as soon as possible I cradled the plaque once again, and yanked hard on the star, finally pulling it loose. The plaque slipped from my arms and clattered to the floor.

I stared at the star in my hand, its surface cold and sharp. _What does this thing do…?_

I switched the star to my left hand and reached out for the closest blue orb with my right. It shrunk and dissolved into my palm. They had been displaced from their original spots during the fighting, but the church – even without its walls – seemed to contain them nonetheless.

As I gathered more, the star warmed in my opposing hand. After the third orb I looked down at the star, but it didn't seem to have changed physically; and only the light of a nearby orb glistened off of it. My curiosity in the meaning of the warmth was not enough to make me consider its reasons at the moment, and I stuffed the star in my left hand jacket pocket.

Absorbing the final soul caused the remaining light of the church to go out, and I was left in near darkness. The sun was already settling at the horizon, and what remained of the light in the sky was a ruddy-purple color, populated by gray clouds.

The evening wind whipped though the remains and I felt a chill on my exposed abdomen. I ran my right hand across the wound that Giriko's saw had left, and the skin was cold to the touch. I turned over my palm and a thin trail of blood was left on my hand. It wasn't as bad as it had been earlier during the fight; the wound was quickly improving.

Even if my fighting didn't improve, my healing was.

***

**Kid**

Liz and Patty had to drag me – literally – to the infirmary to have the shards of wood pulled from my hands. They had remained with me for the rest of the afternoon, sitting on the patio. Nothing changed, and after a while neither woman said anything to me. I was busy stewing in my own thoughts. As the afternoon wore on, I became lost in my mind regarding the validity of my decision to not go against my father.

Sometime towards dusk the two bid me farewell, and told me they'd see me back at the mansion. While I could understand them not wanting to stay with him while I sojourned in my own mind, I disliked the feeling they were less concerned than I was.

It was dark by the time I heard the roar of Soul's motorcycle blaring towards Shibusen. I couldn't help but feel a sense of released stress when I saw the bike's lights turn towards the school.

Sai parked the bike at the base of the stairs and killed both the headlamp and the engine. She steadied the bike and kicked down the kickstand; climbed off of the machine. As she started up the first set of stairs, I stood and started down the upper set of steps. My back and legs felt stiff after having sat most of the afternoon, but my weariness was little compared to the way she looked.

My heart sank when I saw the condition of her clothes and the slash across her stomach. "Sai, are you…alright?" I questioned. It then seemed a foolish question considering her appearance.

She smiled unconvincingly. "I'm alive."

Sai wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me slightly towards her; I held my arms around her back, and buried my head between her head and left shoulder.

"Hey…what happened to your hands?" She whispered, leaning her head against mine.

I decided to tell the truth…mostly. "I got angry and broke a chair." I told her with a sigh. "I shouldn't have waited here, you could have been killed. I should have at least come out and made sure you were safe."

Her words were muffled by her positioning. "I think that's a little less likely now. And that's thanks to you, too."

I was sure that somewhere in my mind those words made sense, but at the moment I wasn't up for a discussion of them. For a moment I was content to hear nothing but the sound of the evening wind.

Until I put my hand into the left side of Sai's hair.

I pulled back and examined Sai's head in the darkness. The difference between the right and the left was obvious, yet my mind and eyes went back and forth.

I patted Sai on the left side of her head with my right hand. By the third time she seemed unsurprised by my reaction and her eyes narrowed. I pushed back and held her at arms' length. "Sai, your…your hair…it's…!" I stuttered; I couldn't manage to get the sentence out. Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I coughed into my left fist and started again. "How do you mange to become less symmetrical after every fight?" I asked her, my voice flat.

Sai's eyes narrowed. Her shoulders dropped and she looked down and to her right. "I realize what my hair and clothes look like, Kid. Let it go for the moment." She muttered. "I need to see Shini…err…"

Sai seemed to be growing weaker as she spoke, and I strengthened the grasp I had on her arms. Pulling her back towards me and wrapped my right arm around her shoulders. "Can you walk?" I asked quietly.

Sai looked up at me, her eyes showing disturbance. "Kid…the demon tools…_Eibon_ is involved…" She mumbled.


	42. Chapter 41 Slaying the Daemons

_Chapter 41 – Slaying the Daemons _

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Sai**

We wound around most of Shibusen's hallways in silence.

I noticed the color had drained from Kid's face. "Kid, say something. Please." I begged.

He had wrapped his right arm around my shoulders and was pulling me towards the Death Room.

"I can't discuss it. I can't…" His voice was weak, and it was hard to pin-point where his concern over the current situation we were in ended, and the stress over the idea of the Master Toolmaker Eibon being involved, began. "Don't say anything about it unless my Father asks." He muttered, his voice thin.

At the finally hallway and with the Death Room door insight, my stomach started to burn and I wrapped my arms around my midsection. My feet came to a sudden stop and I reached out and took hold me Kid's jacket. "Stop…" I whispered.

Kid attempted to pull me, starting to panic. "We can't, the souls have to come out. They have to come…"

My vision shifted sideways, and I felt almost drunk.

I reached out to where I thought he was. "Kid…"

My environment drew dark as it spun away.

*******

**Kid**

I pulled Sai down the hall and pounded on the Death Room door.

"Father!" I yelled.

The door pulled open from the inside, and Stein was the door. He grabbed her from me and put his arm around her shoulders. She appeared to still be walking, but it didn't look like she was aware of what was going on. He pulled her down the line of arches and up the podium. "Kid, where's the Demon Tool?" He demanded, sitting Sai on the reflective flooring. She started to fall forward and flat to the floor, and Stein grabbed her.

I was distracted and missed question initially.

Stein grabbed my right arm with his left, as he supported Sai with his right. "Where's the…damn it!" He suddenly shouted, and dropped Sai to floor. She landed with a light thud on her right side. "She's burning!" He waved his hand, as if swinging it would relive him of the singe

Something in her remaining coat pocket began to glow a violent and brilliant sky blue.

I went to reach out for Sai, and Stein pulled me back. "Don't touch her; you might have a reaction."

I had no intention of holding back. "Let me go!" I retorted in anger.

As Stein struggled to pull and hold me back, a blue, domed soul-light began to glow around Sai; and she started to scream about something being hot, something burning.

I could only watch, and it burned me as well. "Sai!"

***

**Sai**

Seeing the inside of my soul just wasn't something I could "get used to."

The books, the study materials of Shibusen, say that the color of the light you see inside of your Weapon for is in a way "your color." It is the representation of your soul in physical form.

The blade of my scythe is violet, the atmosphere I see while in my Weapon form is violet…

_Then why is the sky and ground blood red…_

Maybe bloody wasn't the right word. The ground was watery, but didn't seem to get you wet. It splashed and made ripples, but it wasn't see-through like water. And it was too bright to be anything but the blood.

I leaned my head back, and found the sky above colored similarly to the ground, but was uniform, unlike the water which moved with each minor step. Looking from side to side, the horizon was a light pink, and created a border between the ruby red water, and the blood red sky.

It was made all the worse by the screams I heard every few moments.

There was a light splashing sound and I turned about-face.

The Little Me was before me in her simple black dress; but she wore the ribbons – one on each side of her head, behind her ears – that Kid had given me, and that had been ruined with spilled blood.

Even in my head I could hear screaming, but I couldn't place where it came from. The Little Me seemed oblivious to the sounds, and I was mildly suspicious. "What's…that _noise_…?"

Her eyes stared straight ahead, unmoving when I adjusted my positioning in space. "Those are the sounds of human souls." She stated flatly.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean?"

"That is the scream of souls leaving Earth."

I looked around, but there was nothing but uniformity. "Then where is this?"

Her words echoed, even without walls. "This is nowhere physical."

I remembered Shinigami-sama's words: _a soul of the Kishin has taken control of the Demon Tool at this church…the church itself has become a weapon for the Kishin…I need you retrieve the soul…only then will the Tool be usable…"_

"You don't have to take this path…"

"I came to Shibusen to improve myself. This just happens to be the path to that that's open for that, for now."

"Is this life suitable?"

I tried to remain unbiased. "I'll take what I can get."

"Is that alone enough encouragement to keep you alive?"

I tapped my foot in impatience. "I'm not going to crawl in a hole and die, if that's what you're touting."

Its eyes stared, unblinking, for a moment. "If you chose this path, you'll outlive your friends and family."

"Everyone lives and dies, even the Shinigami." I rolled my eyes at the concept. "None of us are immortal."

"You'll have to be alone, eventually."

I stared down into the fluid ground and watched my distorted image float. "As late as a few weeks ago I might have believed that was true." I placed my right arm behind my back and the scythe appeared. "But since I'm feeling a little more optimistic lately, I'm apt to think you're the influence of the _Kishin_ on the Demon Tool."

Little Me scowled. "The Tools are amplification devices. They simply take what's in one's soul and make it stronger. I can only exacerbate what it is already there."

"So you're taking advantage of my weaknesses. That's uncouth." I moved the scythe to my right hand alone and spun it a circle. When it came fully around, it snapped to my hand.

Her face darkened. "You're lying to yourself."

I ignored her accusation. "And this place…these colors and images…this may not even be my soul."

"But…"

I smiled darkly. "In fact…I think this is the _Kishin_ egg's soul. If I remove it – if I remove you – the tool will be clean."

The face of Little Me contorted and its mouth grew large. Its jaw dropped and an enlarged tongue rolled out, letting drool run down its chin. Its jagged white teeth reminded me vaguely of Soul.

Grinning at her, I said: "Heh. The problem is the soul…"

I adjusted my position and planted my feet slightly farther apart. _This seems too easy at the moment…_

There was movement to my left and I instinctively turned. A few feet in front of me the water had grown to above my head and was falling towards me.

It was a moment of shock and awe.

Not having the scythe in both hands limited the strength of my swing, and I was forced to pull it back behind my back to gain momentum. I brought the scythe forward, and pushed it into the wave.

It stuck part of the way into the wave, and my weapon's inertia ceased.

The wave continued on its path, now on top of me. I released the scythe and it faded from existence, and dove to my right, landing and splashing up the water. The wave splashed onto of my legs, causing them to sting.

There was movement in front of me once again, and I came up to my feet quickly. I turned to where Little Me had been standing, but she was now farther in the distance. It was difficult to do, but I used what footing I could get on the watery ground to push my self up and forward, and went running towards her.

The water rose once again on my right, but I slid to the left and was able to continue running. The next one came at my left and was closer, so adjusting my positioning in my running was more difficult. I wasn't able to clear it fully, and I felt the burn of the gelatin-like water smack against my left arm, slowing me down. The waves began to rise faster the closer I got the _Kishin_ egg. I reproduced the scythe in my right hand and continued my charge.

It didn't look like she planned to fight back; all of her attack was in her ability to manipulate this soul into crushing my own physically. I shifted my right hand towards the upper half of the scythe's staff, and left my right hand at its midsection. Coming to a halt within striking distance, I pulled the scythe back over my right shoulder and brought it back down blade between its head and left shoulder.

Little Me's "body" unwound and dissipated. All that was left was what had been at its heart: a ball of bright white, with red swirling around it. Outside of the condensed soul essence emanated translucent red flames.

The soul shrunk and dissipated into my palm as the others had, but the response was significantly different. I was overcome with nausea and dropped to my knees, causing the ruby water to splash up around me.

Clouds of darkness rose up from under the watery floor and overtook me, shutting out my ability to see my surroundings.

*******

**Kid**

Sai's back lurched up and she vomited; the fluids were tinged with neon blue highlights.

I could barely hear Stein's voice over the shirking. "She'll be okay." He encouraged.

I turned on Stein, and I knew my expression was wild with rage.

Stein attempted to pin my arms down and do my chest, and his grasp on me was surprisingly strong. "You can't help her!" He returned. "This is _her_ assignment."

I had pushed my emotions to the edge, and my eyes burned with tears. "Let me go…" I muttered. "Father…"

Sai ceased expelling fluids and began to inhale and exhale noisily.

Father's eyes narrowed. "I think it's over."

_***_

**Sai**

Able to open my eyes, I could see the gradual dissipating of an electric blue light.

Stein was at my left, kneeling down and pulling up on my shoulders. "Sai…can you sit up?" He asked quietly.

My chest felt like lead, but I pulled myself upward.

Shinigami-sama's mask smiled. "You did well."

I coughed and looked up at Shinigami-sama. "Death-san…" I huffed.

His expression shined, like it was his own child who had been successful. "Congratulations on your first soul." He stated with pride.

Kid came to my right, put his arms under mine, and began to pull me up. He wrapped his left arm around my shoulders, forcing me to face Shinigami-sama.

Shinigami-sama raised an oversized white, gloved hand and a ball of blue light appeared in front of my chest. The longer he held it there, the larger the ball became. After a few moments a hole appeared in the glove, and the blue ball began to unwind towards and into his glove. When the ball disappeared, he tucked his gloved hand inside of his cloak.

He bounced twice in place. "Kid, why don't you take Sai to the mansion for the night? It's much closer than her home."

Kid's face and expression was one of tiredness, and he didn't seem to be in the mood to argue. "Yes, Father."

As Kid led me down the line of arches, I turned to him. "Say something…please."

"You're one step closer to 'normal.'" He smiled, but it appeared phony. "I'm sure they're all so proud."

My face dropped. "I'm never going to be normal, Kid."

We had reached the door; he let his head hang and let his right hand rest on the door handle. "Don't let them change you to be 'average'…you're too strong for that."


	43. Chapter 42 Shinigami of the Manor

_Chapter 42 – Shinigami of the Manor_

**Sai Summers**

The Executioner Manor was nothing short of huge. Done in grey brick and white trim, and four stories tall, it dominated the area and dwarfed the surrounding buildings. While it had a small front lawn in comparison to an average neighborhood, it was the only one in the vicinity to even have one.

Standing in the front lawn, I looked up towards the roof. A spotlight on the near-end of the roof shone down on us, and I was forced to shade my eyes in order to look up. "I don't get it, why such a large house?"

Kid, on my right, turned and looked at me in mild confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

I tried again. "It's just you and the sisters. Why live in such a big house?"

He turned away and sighed. "It's not my home by choice. It's the family manor."

We were met at the dark cherry double-doors by a thin, pale woman in a black and white maid's uniform. In the doorway Kid stopped and made a request. "Sara, please prepare a room for Sai. She's going to be spending the evening."

Sara nodded quickly, but I couldn't help but notice her slight embarrassment at the request and it made me uncomfortable.

Walking in front of us, Sara let the way into a dinning room.

Liz and Patty sat in which I assumed was only one of the dinning rooms. Done in dark blue stones, and black marble floors, the room should have been quite dark. Most of the room's illumination came from a pair of black wrought-iron and glass chandeliers; one over each end of the long, dark cherry-wood dining table. The chairs were matching uprights, and padded in black velveteen cushions. On the left was a flight of dark stone stairs, and the right an archway to another room. Sara gave us a nod and left us at the doorway; she rounded the table and went through the archway.

While Patty busied herself with coloring a picture with pigment sticks, Liz filed her nails with a neon pink cardboard file. Both sat on the same side of the table, in the dead center of the table. Liz looked up at us as we entered, blinked twice, and then exclaimed, "Sai! What happened?"

I had forgotten what I looked like; in the previous confusion with the Demon Tool I had put aside the fact that part of my hair had be hacked off and that my jacket and skirt were sliced open.

I couldn't help but feel embarrassment at my condition, even if it wasn't my doing. "It looks worse than it is, I promise." I explained with a grin, waving my left hand downwards, while covering my abdomen with my right.

"Will you please try to make Sai's hair more…" Kid seemed to be struggling to say it. "Even…on the sides."

Liz smiled, but looked confused; she tried to cut the tension in the room with humor. "Uh, sure Kid…but I'm kinda surprised you don't want to 'design' her hair though." She used her index and middle fingers to elude to quotation marks.

Kid looked towards the direction we had come in, his expression blank.

Looking up from her drawing of a bright yellow giraffe, Patty's eyes were wide in concern. "Kid, ya okay?"

"I'll be in my room."Was all he said before turning about-face and starting up the stairwell behind and to our right.

Liz leaned to her right. "He seems _extra-moody_ this evening." She whispered to Patty, who simply giggled.

He looked back over his left shoulder, while standing on the bottom step. "I'll have one of the staff bring you another shirt. You'll end up with a chill wearing that damaged coat around here."

Disappointment at his attitude set in with me. "Alright."

I watched him walk up the stairs until Liz took notice of the frustration on my face, and pulled me over to the table. She pulled out one of the chairs on that side and pushed my shoulders down.

I could feel the frustration building up in me. I didn't want to sit here and idle while someone bothered with my hair. My current look, while not suitable, felt the need to take a back-seat to a variety of other issues.

"We'll be right back." Liz explained, and dragged Patty away from her picture into the adjoining room.

They returned in a few minutes with a full-length mirror and a red table cloth. Liz set the mirror up and pulled out another chair from the table; she placed it in front of the mirror. I stood from the chair I was already in, rounded Liz and sat down in the new one. Patty flapped out the tablecloth and tied it around my neck. She then pulled out a pair of scissors from her puffed pants and handed them to Liz. She went to cutting off the parts of my hair that were damaged, and the started to try and make a shape that was level on the ends.

Watching Liz in the mirror reminded me that I had no family I could otherwise ask for such a thing; my eyes started to burn and I sniffed.

She immediately panicked and looked me over nervously. "Ahh, Sai, did I cut you with the scissors?! Are you bleeding?!"

I tried to giggle, but my emotions were heavy. "I was just thinking how you don't even have to be nice to me, but you treat me like family, anyway."

Liz's lower lip quivered and she broke into tears. "You can never have too many sisters…" She sobbed, putting her arms around my shoulders.

Patty hopped up from her chair and stood at our right. She patted Liz on the back. "There, there." She kept repeating.

_It feels weird to be like this with them…they shouldn't even like me…_

There were footsteps behind us on the heavy floor stones.

Kid had come back downstairs. He began to rummage in his left coat pocket. "Here."

He held out a clean set of black and purple ribbons. Liz, managing to control her emotions for the moment, took them from his hand and started to tie them to the sides of my head.

I ended up stating the obvious. "You bought another set…"

Kid shrugged. "The other ones were bloodstained; didn't have much choice."

I tried to inject humor into the situation; his dulled expression depressing me. "A lot of people would assume that someone like you always has a choice."

His eyes dropped. "Money and power aren't synonymous with freedom."

Patty started to pat him on the back while giggling. "There, there."

I could see Kid holding his head in his left hand, in the reflection. "I'm not sure I can handle this right now…I'm going back upstairs." In the mirror Kid turned on his heels and returned the way he had come, slouched over with his hands in his pants' pockets.

I sighed. _Don't walk away like that…_

"Will that be okay?" Liz asked as she removed the table cloth. "Is it too short?"

It was far shorter than I was used to, but I didn't have the heart to tell her I was unhappy with the results. "It looks fine. Thanks Liz." I noticed she was looking downwards. "Liz?"

Patty watched Liz with her head cocked to the right. "Sister?"

She half-smiled. "I get worried when he gets like this. He carries so much around inside himself, and forgets to tell people about it."

Her comment triggered my memory. "Hey Liz, has Kid ever mentioned Eibon?"

She seemed to ponder the thought for a moment and then blinked. "No, sorry." She paused. "But…"

"But what…?" I asked, confused.

"If he had….I might not have been paying attention. A lot of what he says…is above me."

I giggled. _She's so right…_

*******

After only an hour I managed to get myself lost in the house.

I knew I was on the third floor, but only by the number of floors I had taken in the closest stairwell. Even though most of the hallways were lines with oversized, white candles on tall wrought-iron stands, the walls were lined with the same dark stone from the first floor.

_This place must be freezing in the winter…_

On the third door on my left, I found a light coming from an open doorway. As I quietly pushed it open – it decided to creak anyway – something grabbed at my right shoulder. "Gee…_ya…!_ Who's there?!" I shouted, in error.

It was the maid Sara who had let us into the manor earlier; her pale skin was nearly translucent in the candlelight of the brass candelabra she carried. "Shh! Please, Shinigami-san is sleeping." She whispered, her right index finger to her lips.

I looked inside and found Kid asleep in a dark wood desk chair on coasters, in front of a dark roll-top desk. Candlelight flickered from the desk, but from my position, I couldn't tell from what. "It'll be fine." I told her, not paying much attention.

She continued to pull on my coat sleeve. "Please, I ask you not to disturb him."

This time I turned and yanked my arm from her grasp. "Leave me be. Who the heck do you think you are anyway?"

_"Please."_ She begged. "I'll be in trouble if _you_ disturb him."

I eyed her curiously. "I don't think that's true."

_Something's weird here… _I thought. _Ah, who cares…overprotective nonsense…_

I left Sara standing at the door, and let myself into Kid's room; I was done having to explain myself.

I could feel my brow furrow. _My relationship with him is none of her business…_

I shook Kid's left shoulder, and even though I knew the answer, I asked anyway: "Kid…you awake?"

After a moment, his golden eyes snapped open and he shifted forward in his seat. "Eh! Oh…yes, I am." He announced, startled.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I was just…"

He looked up, but it was difficult to tell if he was actually seeing me. "No, no, I shouldn't be sleeping while there's company." Kid frowned. "…and they didn't get you a new shirt…"

"Don't worry about it." I stood nervously at the left of his chair. "Kid…tell me what you know about Eibon."

Kid sighed and sat far forward in his seat; he held his knees with his hands. "Please Sai, don't ask me about that."

"I need to know." I griped.

He was doing a good job of avoiding the discussion. "You're not going to be happy with what I tell you."

I dropped my shoulders. "Stop it, Kid. You're avoiding the subject."

He blinked and looked at me in consternation. "I'm not. You don't seem to understand…"

"Understand what?" I interrupted with a spat. "I don't understand because you won't tell me."

He seemed to have lost his patience with the subject and pounded his knees. "Fine! Would you at least stop being rude! The Demon Tools were created from the souls of Independent Weapons." He announced.

Kid sighed, and looked down and to his right.

I laughed darkly. There was a red velveteen chair to the left of the desk; I pulled it over to Kid's right and sat down. "No, this is too cliché…You _really_ expect me to believe that someone killed a bunch of Weapons and turned those souls into the Tools." I paused. "And said 'killer' is…Eibon?"

He remained stoic. "That's what I believe, yes."

I could feel my brow crinkle. "Kid…when was this…?"

"Around 800 years ago."

My shoulders dropped. "Think about that…why would Death-san let someone get away with doing that…?"

Kid stared at the candle. "I think it may have just dawned on you the reasons behind me not wanting to bring it up."

"There's no way he…are you saying he _let_ it happen…? No, no way he would have done that. I don't believe it." I shook my head aimlessly.

Kid covered his eyes with his hands for a moment, and then put them back in his lap. "Don't misunderstand, Father would have never allowed it to go on willingly."

"Well…same time period." I dropped my shoulders.

He gesticulated with his right hand. "Let me explain at least. It was before the time of Shibusen. Father was assisting in the elimination of the Kishin eggs. The witches were encouraging the production of the eggs, and Father was looking for a way to combat that…"

"Well, yeah, even a first year Shibusen student knows that much." I lightly smacked my forehead with my left hand. "Kid…doesn't that seem a little far-fetched?"

Kid sighed. "Perhaps…"

I put my hand down. "So where are you getting all of this from?" I eyed the piles of books on his desk. "From these books…"

My eyebrows rose. "Those are the books from the Level 3 in the library."

I noted the codes from the library catalog on the spines. "I see that."

Kid remained firm to his decision. "They seem to be from reliable sources."

I picked up the closest one – _Ancient Weapon Techniques and Technicians _– and flipped it open aimlessly, thumbing through the pages_._ "Do you remember what I said about the Independent Weapons being rare and how much of what you read is heresy?"

Kid sighed and looked gloomy at remembering my words; I decided to not press the issue.

I held the book in my arms, against my chest. "And besides…what difference does it make? It's not like we can change the past." I tried to avoid sounding overly harsh by lowering my voice. "Getting mad about something that happened 800 years ago seems kinda…silly."

He pushed his chair back slightly. "You think that this is moronic then, I presume."

"No." I paused when I saw the dejection on his face. "You've been really worried about this, weren't you?"

Kid sat silent and unmoving.

"I wish you could understand that I'm not going to run away just because of something like that." I returned the book to the desk, organizing it into the grouping I had removed it from. "Besides, It's not like _you_ did anything wrong."

Kid turned to me; he was looking defeated. "But, Father, if he…"

I put my left hand to his right cheek, and he lowered his eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong." I reiterated.

I leaned forward and pressed my lip lightly to his, and he didn't resist me.

I was happy to find him not as cold as he had been lately.

After a few moments I felt Kid's posture go rigid.

I pulled back but left my left hand on his right shoulder. "Ah Kid, you have to remember to breathe."

Kid coughed. "Eh, sorry…kinda new at this…"

I bit my lower lip to keep from looking too amused.

The abrupt sound of a rotary telephone broke the quiet moment.

Kid lay back in the chair once again. "You pick it up…I'm tired." He muttered, shutting his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't live here…"

He feigned sleeping and ignored me.

"Fine." I muttered, rolling my eyes. _Such a brat…_

I dug the phone out from behind the piles of library books and found the phone; it was modern, electric form of a old-fashioned candlestick phone. Moving the phone into a position I could hold the midsection while talking into it, I picked up the receiver and held it to my left ear. "Executioner Manor." I said pedantically.

The male voice on the other end of the line sounded tired. "Hello? Is Shinigami-san there?"

_Hmm. Most people don't call him that…_

"I'm afraid his unavailable at the moment, may I take a message?"

There was a slight paused, and then, "Ms. Summers? Is that you?"

I blinked. "Um, yes…who is this?"

The voice lightened slightly. "It's Jonathan, from the Library."

"Oh! Hello. It's quite late, was there something you needed?"

I could hear the hesitation in his voice. "Umm…I have bad news."

My voice darkened. "What is it?"

"I sent the documents you and the Sir were looking at to a foreign language specialist in town. And…" His voice trailed off.

"And what?" I asked with reservations.

His voice was dull. "The courier is missing."

I set the receiver in my lap, and shook Kid's right arm. "Hey, wake up, it's Jonathan." I returned to the phone and Kid struggled to awake. "Wait; tell me _exactly_ what's wrong."

Kid squinted in the candlelight. "Sai, what's wrong?"

I listened to the situation and watched Kid; I then held the ear piece away from my. You could still hear Jonathan talking, as his voice seemed unusually loud for the evening quiet. "It's Jonathan at the Library. The documents from Level 4 are missing…"


	44. Chapter 43 Blood, Guts, and Heart

_Chapter 43 – Blood, Guts, and Heart_

**Death the Kid / Sai Summers**

**Kid**

I blinked in the flickering candlelight. "Say that again?"

Sai hung up the received and turning half around in her seat, returned the phone to the desk. "Jonathan says the courier he sent with the documents from Level 4 is missing." Her face expressed concern. "Shibusen is starting to suspect a kidnapping, I bet."

I sat upright. "If Father realizes that we were the one's looking at those documents; if he realizes we're the ones who wanted…"

Nausea grew inside of my gut, and I grabbed at my head, hanging it. _This feeling…_

I leaned forward and grabbed the ends of my hair in my hands. "It's me…I wanted to know! I'm responsible!" I proclaimed.

Sai grabbed my left arm. "You didn't do anything wrong, Kid."

I cupped my right hand over my mouth, and shut my eyes.

"Kid…what's the matter…?" She begged, shaking my arm slightly.

It was too late. I squeezed my eyes shut.

_I'm panicking…don't look at me…_

Pulling away from her, I threw myself forward out of the chair and onto the floor. On my knees, my stomach chose to empty its contents, followed by a spray of blood. It splattered the dark stone floor, and the bottom and side of the desk.

There was less than I had expected, but it didn't stop Sai from panicking at my expense; I could hear her repeating my name…but it felt removed. And as strange as it may be, I did feel a little bit calmer. Calm even as I collapsed on my right side on the floor, next to my puddle of stomach acid and darkened blood.

Something just a little twisted in me made me smile, but only the inside. _Maybe this is my way of coping…._

*******

**Sai**

It happened so fast, I wasn't _quite_ ready.

"Kid..!" I shouted, even if it fell on deaf ears.

I pushed the chair he had been sitting in back, but instead of rolling smoothly, it toppled over backwards and landed with a thud.

I remembered Soul's excited words: _Man, you should have seen him! Threw up blood and spit and everything! Then he just passed out, right there in the lecture room!_

Stepping over him, I knelt on my knees at his left and pulled him up into my arms. Leaning him in against my right shoulder I brushed back his hair and loosened his white tie.

"I wish you'd let me know if you're going to have a conniption." I muttered.

He seemed to be breathing fine, but was clearly unconscious.

There was a footfall behind me, and the sudden screech of a woman's voice: "What are you doing?!"

I turned towards the voice to find the shrunken form of the maid Sara. I could see a dark face of twisted horror, illuminated by the candelabra she held.

I could barely imagine what this would look like to the average person. Perhaps even a person _adjusted_ to the concept of Weapons and Meisters, would be _shocked_ to come into a room and find the master of the house unconscious and next to a puddle of blood and vomit.

Her eyes were huge, perhaps in disbelief.

But the reaction wasn't for Kid…_it was for me._

Sara started to back up slowly, and tripped over a rug near the doorway. Her voice trembled, and she pointed accusingly. "Monster…"

_Kid, this would be a _really_ good time to wake up…_

The words stumbled out of my mouth. "I didn't do anything…he fainted…its Kid, come on…!"

She held the candelabra out in front of her and wax dripped onto the floor. And she seemed to be gathering her courage. She came at us, as if the fire would drive me away – like I was a demon. "Get away from him!" She yelled.

_Those words…reminds me of Iceland….and Justin…_

It was my turn to panic, and I held on to Kid. "What the heck is wrong with you?!" I shouted back at her. "It's Kid! He's always like this!"

There were thudding footfalls in the hallway and I looked towards the open doorway.

I saw a figure in puffed pants run by the doorway. "Patty!" I yelled, hoping to have caught her attention.

She came running back, abet backwards. "Ah! Sai! There you are!"

Liz suddenly appeared at her right, eyes wide. "Is everything okay? What's going on in here?!"

"Yeah..he…Kid, err…" I stuttered, and then looking up at Sara. I couldn't help but feel confrontation about me. I was close to my own mental collapse with Sara's eyes still locked on me. "Can you do something about the maid…?" I yelled at her, a little louder than necessary; the words echoed in the room.

She sighed and walked into the room; she came to a stop a few feet in front of Kid and me, and put her right hand to her forehead. "I take it Kid forgot to mention that Sara's new."

With a narrowed gaze, I eyed Liz. "Excuse me…?" I hissed.

Liz appeared embarrassed as she up-righted the chair I had toppled. "She's new, only started last week."

Things were starting to make some sense, but it made it no less unpleasant. "Ahh…so she's never seen this." I muttered, and put my left hand to my forehead.

Patty danced over to Liz's side. "Kid fainted!" She exclaimed and pointed at him, even if it wasn't in anyway necessary to state it.

Liz smirked. "Kid never said anything about this happening when around you though…but I suspect he wouldn't tell _us_ about that."

I glazed over her saucy attitude. "It hasn't, but I heard from Soul about one of his episodes, so I wasn't _completely_ shocked."

Liz continued to grin. "Kid doesn't usually have _these_ kinds of problems in the house." She twisted her lip and bit on it. "Then again, he doesn't usually have girls in his room, either." She bowed down next to me. "Here, let me help you." She started to pull him up from my arms. "We'll let him sleep on the bed."

The bed was a massive wooden four-post bed, with a black comforter. For some reason being in the same room with it made me feel awkward. I let Liz pull him up from me, and I stood.

Sara continued to look nervous. "But Miss…this girl looks _dangerous."_

Patty burst out laughing and smacked Sara on the back several times. "You're funny! You'll fit right in!"

It was then I realized I had knelt in what had been Kid's stomach contents. "Uh…eww…" I moaned and stuck my tongue out.

Patty looked at me inquisitively, and I showed her what I was looking at. "Eww! Gross!" She wiggled in place.

Liz dumped Kid on the bed on his right side, and returned to us. "Just let him sleep it off. This is nothing new." She said, dusting her hands off. "One of these days I'll have to ask you what you see in him, Sai."

Patty started to slap me on the back this time. "Love! Love! Love!" She exclaimed in a sing-song tone.

I twisted my lip; that wasn't a conversation I was in the mood to have, so I changed the subject. "Hey, um…can I take a bath? I feel kinda…_gross._ Someone puked…" I babbled.

Liz blinked. "Oh, yeah. I'll show you were the one is on this floor." She stepped to my left and put her arm around my shoulders. She then looked over at Sara. "Can you send these clothes for cleaning and repairs?"

Sara, her embarrassment at the situation showing, nodded. "Yes, Miss."

I felt my cheeks warm. "Umm…I don't have any other clothes."

Liz squeezed my shoulders. "No worries about that. I'm sure between Patty and me's clothes, we can find something that fits you."

I blushed fully now. _It's not like me to accept charity…_

Something – beyond their hospitality – made me uneasy. "Hey, um…" I found myself less eloquent than usual. "Will you guys stay with him while I clean up? I _really_ don't want him to wake up and find everyone gone."

Even if Liz knew it was an excuse, she didn't let on. "Sure. No problem." She said with a smile.

*******

**Kid**

I had regained consciousness when Liz threw me on the bed; it just didn't seem like a good idea to say anything. Not when I could learn more staying silent.

And I was quickly exposed.

"I know you're awake." I heard Liz say, her voice made her sound like she was standing over me.

I opened my right eye and stared at her; I was right.

"She's in the bath." She stated flatly.

I opened both eyes and rolled onto my back.

Liz put her hands on her lips. "She'd be mad if she knew you were faking for part of it."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I wasn't. I didn't come to until you rough-handled me."

There was a knock on the outside of the door, and Sai entered. I couldn't help but notice her discomfort…and what she had found in Liz's closest.

*******

**Sai**

Kid was awake, and Liz and Patty appeared to have been waiting for me.

Feeling clean and washed and having fresh clothes since the first time in something like twelve hours, made me feel in a significantly better mood.

Liz turned to me, looking pleased. "Hey, you found something that fit. Good."

The black lace top was cut high at my midsection, and low at my chest. The pants, while suitably fitting, sat low on the waist. As such, I kept trying to hide my bare stomach. "This is a little more revealing than I'm used to." I confessed.

Kid simply stared, and Liz pushed on his forehead. "Have some respect." She muttered. "Ya' pervert."

He gave her a dirty look in response, and then turned back to me.

Liz looked from me to Kid, and back to me. She then smiled. "I guess we'll be off. If you need anything, let one of us now." She grabbed Patty by the right arm and started to lead her out of the room.

As they passed by me, Liz winked.

_I'm wondering if I should be concerned about that look…_

I rounded the bed and crawled up the far side. I pulled off the sandals I had found in the closest – the only ones that I could wear, and that matched – left them at the side of the bed, and laid down at Kid's left.

His head rolled over and he looked at me in seriousness. "Sai, I have to leave in the morning."

I sighed. "Kid, don't. You're barely holding yourself together right now."

_I can't believe Death-san would send him if he knew his current…condition…_

His eyes were intense. "I have no choice; I need to see it for myself."

"See what?" I wondered aloud.

Kid's voice was firm and he rolled onto his right side. "I need to know more about the Demon Tools. I need to know if the signature on the plaque you found is really from Father, or if it's the handiwork of a deranged religion."

His conviction impressed me, and I wasn't apt to argue. "Where are you going?"

"Africa. The Sahara, actually." His darkened eyes made him look as if he was dredging the details from memory. "There's a train that runs through the desert, on no tracks, powered by one of the Demon Tools. Father has assigned the task of catching the train and pulling the tool to me."

"It sounds dangerous…" I said, in automatic worry.

He ran his hand over the ribbon on the right side of my head, and I shivered. "Not any more than anything else we've been through." He stated.

I chortled. "Heh, I can't help but worry, I guess. I feel like the worried wife, waiting to hear word of her solider-man coming back from war."

He half-smiled, but avoided my gaze. "You'll _always_ know if I'm not coming back."

The smile disappeared from my face. "What?" I whispered.

He inhaled and exhaled noisily. "The death of a Shinigami produces a new one. If I'm gone, you'll know." He alleged.

I stared at him in quiet horror.

Kid's eyes fell to the comforter, and he pulled at a string. "There's always people in reserve. People to replace us." He whispered. "A new one rises when one falls….it's the reason I'm here." He paused. "I'm a replacement."

Tears burned in my eyes, and I shielded my face with my hands. _We're nothing more than tools, too…_

Kid's voice shook. "Don't look at me like that…I already know…"

I sniffed and put my hands down. "You know what?"

He leaned hard against the pillow, as if he was trying to hide. "My selfishness has condemned you. If I die, you'll mostly likely take my place as a full Shinigami." He paused for a moment, and then squeezed his eyes shut. "Forgive me."

Rage rose up in me, and I started to hit him in the left shoulder with my right fist.

He let a sob escape. "Sai…please…I didn't know what else to do…"

_"Do you really think _that's_ why I'm upset?!" _I complained.

Kid's eyelids snapped open and stared at me with wide eyes; I could see the water in them.

I pouted, and sunk against the bed. "Moron…stop being so morbid…"

He put his left arm around me and at my back, and pulled me in; I curled up against him. His warmth and familiar smell suddenly comforting.

"Go see Jonathan for me tomorrow." He whispered. "Please. We need to keep a lid on this situation with the documents."

My mind was far away from his words. _Don't go, tomorrow…please don't…_

"Alright." I muttered, with exhausting setting in.

"I'll be fine…" He muttered, half-asleep.

After a few minutes, I could hear his light snoring as I drifted off to sleep.


	45. Chapter 44 Hard Line Plight

_Chapter 44 – Hard-line Plight_

**Sai Summers**

Dawn broke unusually late for me, if for only due to my exhaustion. Sitting up I noticed not only was I alone, but there was a note on the pillow where Kid had been.

"_That shirt won't last long in battle, so I've left you something more durable. I've also left you a few extra things to match your ribbons, and a new wallet for your student ID. You'll likely need it to…_

The rest of the line was missing.

_It's not like him to stop writing suddenly…_

"This handwriting's a little messy for 'Mister Perfectionist.'" I said aloud, tossing the letter to the side.

Pulling myself up and off of the bed, I examined what he – or she, if my hunch was correct – had left for me. The wallet was standard issue brown leather, but it had the emblem of the Shinigami's family crest done in color, on the reverse. There was also a scarf that matched my hair ribbons, and a hair comb of purplish and black stones.

I sighed, a combination of happiness and frustration. "One of these day's I'll get you to stop randomly buying me things, Kid…"

I picked up the top and noticed it was form-fitting, and made from some sort of leather or hide. Done in black with thin-slit pockets on the chest, it has white pin-stripping and an embroidered Shinigami-sama mask. Even without having tried it on, I knew its lower hem couldn't possible fall lower than the top of my abdomen.

"What the heck _is_ this, Kid?!" I yelled, even if no one heard.

*******

I assumed everything would be quiet on a weekend-day at the school.

This turned out to be false.

Near the top of the Shibusen front steps, the sisters lounged. Liz had out a white nail file, and was perfecting her nails, while Patty swung backwards and forwards in place.

I blinked. "Liz, Patty, what are you still doing here?"

Liz looked up at me, and put the file in her lap. "Kid said we can't leave yet." She seemed tired and annoyed as rolled her eyes. "You know him; have to have all his ducks in a row before we can do _anything."_

Patty turned to her sister, looking perplexed. "Does that mean we're ducks, too?"

We both looked at Patty, but Liz answered. "Eh, it's just an expression." She sighed and thumbed over her left shoulder with her left hand. "Kid's over by the door if you're looking for him."

"Thanks." I stepped around Liz and started up the remained few steps.

Liz yelled from behind me, her voice cheery and pleasant. "Oh yeah, he picked those out himself, Sai!"

I turned and saw her waiving her right hand, downward.

_Considering how short this top is, I kinda wonder where his mind is…_

Kid was standing by the entrance to the school with his arms crossed against his chest, tapping his foot. There was irritation on his face.

"Hey." I said nonchalantly.

A moment passed without a response; his face looked tense, and his mind seemed severally occupied.

"Uh, Kid…you okay…?" I started.

"I needed to see Father before I left, but he's got visitors at the moment, it seems." He interrupted.

I was not surprised by his unabashed attitude. "Hmm."

He turned to me and smiled. "I'm pleasantly surprised to see you wearing what I left. You know, considering how you are about my gifting habits."

"Oh, be quiet. You're such a brat, sometimes." I felt embarrassment creeping in. "You know, I still wish you'd take a few days off."

Kid stepped in front of me, and I felt a shiver go through my spine. Even at this point, I felt nervous around him.

"I can't do that, you know. We've been through this." He sighed. "Eventually it won't be _me_ jumping to order, but that'll be a long time." He scratched the back of his head with his left hand.

I eyed him, not finished with my annoyances. "Yes, but we _haven't_ been through the fact that you got up and left this morning unannounced, and left me a half-written note."

As his arm fell to his side, his eyebrows rose. "What note?"

"Eh…" It then occurred to me whose handwriting it was, and I felt foolish. "Never mind."

His eyes narrowed and he looked toward the stairs.

Getting him upset wasn't my attention, so I steered the conversation and his attitude back towards myself. "I would have preferred if you had just woke me."

"I will next time." He stated. Kid looked absentminded, as he put his right hand to his chin and nodded. "Almost _everything_ is symmetrical on you. _Almost…"_

Kid pulled the scarf I wore around, until it hung at the center of my chest. I smacked his hand in response. "It looks weird like that, looks like I'm wearing a tie." I affixed it so it hung on my right. "Consider it balancing out for the eye patch."

He looked nervous and stammered. "But…but…"

I held my right hand to his left cheek; he sighed quietly and shut his eyes for a long moment. "Relax, especially if you're going out on assignment. That nervousness is going to get you in trouble someday." I gently scolded.

There were footfalls behind us, but before I could turn, a woman's voice bellowed: "That kind of behavior is hardly appropriate for a school of learning."

I turned to find a moderately tall woman with short, cropped hair in a dark pant-suit looking at Kid and me in disapproval. She adjusted the thin-rimmed glasses she wore with her right hand, as if it would change the image.

When I realized she was staring, I finally remembered to drop my hand from Kid's face. He blinked and turned towards our eavesdropper finally.

Stein's voice came out from behind her. "I think it's alright, considering who they are." He affirmed, stepping out from being her, and standing at her right.

She frowned and it was a look that seemed fitting of her. "No student should be exempt to the rules of the institution!" She stated, turning to Stein.

Stein smiled and shrugged. "You act like you're _personally_ offended. You don't even attend this school any more."

_Any more…? Who _is _this chick…?_

She pointed aggressively. "No one should be considered except from good morality."

He dropped his shoulders. "Azusa, is the scolding necessary? It's _so_ early…" He whined.

She scoffed. "And _you!_ What a _fine_ example of leadership _you_ portray, Stein-kun."

Stein half-smiled and exaggerated his words. "I'm _hardly_ worried about the morality of those two…"

_Why are we having this discussion then…?_

I could see a diminutive woman with blondish-brown hair peak out from behind Azusa and wave. Her long, dark dress made her look even smaller. Under her hair I could see she had an eye patch, and I felt compelled to wave back. _I'm under the impression I'd rather be talking to her at this point…_

Azusa turned on me when she noticed I wasn't paying attention to her. "Is it true you spent the night as Shinigami-sama's house?" She questioned, adjusting her smart black-rimmed glasses on her face.

I looked back at her, aghast. "How the heck do you…"

Kid stepped in front of me, shielding me. "I'm not sure why that's any of your business, considering it was authorized by my Father." He kept his tone level, yet was trying to make a point, it seemed. "And….it's _my_ house."

Her eyebrows rose. "How old _are_ you again? You're only…"

Age seemed a touchy subject for Kid suddenly, and he balled his fists. "You're calling _my_ age into question?"

Stein seemed to stifle a laugh at the thought of Azusa's age, and then coughed into his fist when the group turned to him. He then straightened his stature. "I'm glad you've come Sai, I was afraid you'd forgotten your doctor's appointment." His formalized speech made the situation appear staged – more so than it already was.

Kid turned back to me, and nodded.

I bit my lip and feigned foolishness as I stepped out from behind Kid. "Sorry Professor, I do tend to forget these things."

Azusa shot me a glance of annoyance as Stein and I left, and I purposefully smiled at her.

I followed Stein down the main corridor, and around a corner. Stein turned and glanced behind us for a brief moment and then looked at me. "Justin is missing as well." He muttered.

I could feel my brow furrow. "Was Justin the courier?"

"Either that, or he is simply missing as well." Stein appeared to be thinking hard on the matter. "By the sudden appearance of the other Deathscythes, I'll say he's just missing."

The term caught my ears. _"That's_ who those women are?"

Stein's voice remained hushed. "Yes, the loud one is Yumi Azusa, and the smaller, quiet one is Marie Mjölnir. They attended Shibusen around the same time I and Spirit-sempai did. They're currently the heads for several anti-_kishin_ forces overseas, in Shibusen's name."

I cocked my head to the right. "So they're here because Justin's missing?"

Stein seemed to be talking to hear himself talk. "I doubt that. I also doubt Shinigami-sama is even worried about him."

My shoulders dropped. "You've contradicted yourself, Professor."

Stein came to a stop outside of the door to the clinic, and he seemed to have a moment of realization. "Does seem like that, doesn't it?"

_He's trying to hide something about Justin, I bet…_

I took a seat on a wooden stool near the closest bed. "Did you really want me for an examination?"

Stein fished for something in his lap coat pocket. "Actually, yes, I wanted to take a look at your eye and see if there are any changes."

I pulled off the hair ribbons and comb, and yanked the eye patch over my head. I tossed everything but the eye patch on the bed behind me, and that I left in my lap. The light caused my eye to become sensitive, and I had trouble keeping it open. I ended up covering it with my left hand.

Stein pulled a pen light from his pocket. "Put your hand down, Sai."

I begrudging complied, and Stein flicked on the pen light.

I tried to distract myself from the light in my eye; it was blurred, but I could still sense it was there. "I'm still a little confused as to why anyone would steal a bunch of papers no one can read."

Stein's right eye twitched slightly as he continued to look at my eye. "I take it you've not done much of your homework lately."

"What's my poor study habits have to do with this?" I asked as Stein lowered the light.

Stein straightened himself, and fell back a step. "If Justin took them, he's gone north. But I am doubtful he did." He snapped the pen light off and placed it back into his right lab coat pocket. He walked to the medicine cabinet to my left, pulled open the doors, and appeared to be looking for something. "But I _have_ been wrong before…."

A vibrating noise filled my ears, drowning out the rest of the Professor's words. I looked on the floor to see if I had kicked something metallic. The stool I sat on was made from wood, and the bed was too far for me to have kicked it.

He noticed me looking about and cocked his head to his left. "What's the matter?"

I frowned. "I hear something weird. Like whining or ringing."

Stein turned to look at me, and then went back to looking for something. "Let me know if it continues."

It continued to grow louder, until it began to hurt my head. I absentmindedly put the eye patch back on in order to kill off one of my discomforts.

"Uh, Professor…the noise..." I groaned, holding my head in my hands. I leaned over as far as I could on the stool, till nearly doubled over.

There was a distinct sound of a plastic pill bottle hitting the tile floor, and his voice sounded like an echo in background music. "I'll be there in a sec…"

Stein's voice was cut off by the sound of someone pounding or kicking at the clinic door. "Stein! Open the door!" The voice unusually loud, and was easily placed as belonging to Spirit. "Someone found Justin!"

As Stein went for the door, I knew the sound was coming from the other side of the door, and I shrieked for him not to open it. Or at least I thought I did. It was like trying to yell above a white noise background.

He made no indication of stopping, and pulled open the door.

The noise grew in decibels until it was resembled screeching, and was impossibly loud for the size room.

_It's Justin, he's the noise…don't let him in! Something in him is screaming…!_

Stein pulled the door open, and the noise suddenly ceased.

I released my head and blinked. _Well, isn't that anticlimactic….it's like someone's messing with me…_

Spirit was trying to hold up Justin under his left arm, and Justin's white and black robes were stained with splatters of ruby-red blood. He seemed paler than when he had first arrived in the Nevada desert from the north.

"Help me." Spirit panted, struggling under Justin's weight. "He's heavy."

Grabbing the stool and my tossed-aside belongings from the bed, I moved out of the way. Stein supported Justin on his left and Spirit on his right. They managed to pull him to the bed and push him over. It took both of them to hoist him _into_ the bed, before Stein rolled him back onto his back.

Spirit wiped his brow with his black suit coat sleeve. "Whoo, you'd think he's got _metal-lined _robes or something. Weighs way more than…"

Ignoring Spirits complaints, Stein started shaking his right shoulder. "Justin! Justin, wake up!"

There was a loud, dry inhalation arose from him. The buzzing and whining started to blare again in my head, and I was stuck down to my knees by its suddenness. The stool clattered as it feel over, and I stopped my belongings in a pile next to the bed.

"Make it stop…make it stop!" I babbled, covering my ears, as if it would keep out the noise.

Stein turned abruptly to Spirit. "Get her out of here!" He yelled, pushing the lackadaisical Deathscythe towards me.

Since the inquiry into Kid's involvement with his supposed attack on me, I had remained wary of Spirit. If he was Maka's father, and Death-san's primary Weapon, he didn't seem above suspicion. I cowered down slightly, unaware of what other actions were taking place – all I wanted to do was avoid him.

The noise suddenly ceased again.

I put my hands down abruptly, and Spirit backed up a half-pace. "It stopped." I muttered.

"Probably because I sedated him." Stein popped the needle from a syringe off, and dropped it into a blue plastic kidney-shaped tray on the bed's nightstand. "If he's unconscious, you can't hear it, I'm guessing."

I tried to pull myself up from the floor, and I finally had to allow Spirit to assist me as I felt weak. "What is it?" I croaked, tired and confused.

Stein looked to be without kind answers. He reached under Justin's top robe, apparently looking for something. "The scream of souls consumed by a _kishin_. They're reaching out through him to you. Through…" Stein looked at his right palm, and then showed it to Spirit and I – it was covered in mixture of red and black congealed fluids "Through the black blood of a Demon God, himself."


	46. Chapter 45 Legitimate Hijacking

_Chapter 45 - Legitimate Hijacking_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid **

**Twenty Minutes Later**

**Sai**

I was sure that the look on my face was telling of my displeasure. "You're asking me to _steal_ someone's partner?"

Shinigami-sama's mask smiled, but it seemed likely a _faux_ gesture to calm the situation. "We're just asking you to work with some one else for a while, since Justin is incapacitated." He stated with a bounce.

I frowned. "I didn't need Justin as a partner away; he was my trainer. We worked together as a method of convenience…for other people…" I allowed my voice to trail off as a sign of agitation.

Spirit ignored my complaints, and continued to examine a selection of white papers in his hands; he also happened to be frowning. "The most recent class entered the school 2 weeks ago. And there's no one left who's suitable, I don't _think_…"

Shinigami-sama bounced in place and turned to him simultaneously. "Her skills are currently…well, that's not what I'm worried about."

_Huh?_  
Stein tapped his foot anxiously. "We have some trust issues. Plus…"

I raised an eyebrow. "What trust issues? I'm pretty sure I'm pretty good about…"

Shinigami-sama smiled. "Actually…we were referring to Kid."

I scratched the back of my head. "Oh…err, yeah, he's got some…_trust_ issues with other guys…"

Spirit rolled the papers into a cylinder between his hands. "Shinigami-sama, I'm not sure we can afford to have him distracted by…"

Shinigami-sama looked at Spirit in wistful consideration.

_He'd _never_ ask Kid to stop being around the people who care for him…_

Spirit sighed and dropped his shoulders. "I realize you have Kid's best interest at heart, but this isn't the time to be placing those considerations above what else is going on. Students and staff alike have come under attack by the Demon Sword, and whoever is controlling it from behind the scenes. This is a dangerous time…"

"True." Was all Shinigami-sama had to say.

Spirit turned to me. "Sai, you have a choice. You can work with another pair or at least another Weapon or Meister until a more suitable replacement for Justin is found…."

I couldn't help but sound bitter. "Or?"

Spirit lowered his papers, and was stoic. "Or, according to the by-laws of Shibusen, you'll be expelled for failing to follow Shinigami-sama's orders in the line of duty."

***

I grumbled and muttered the entire trip to the front steps of the school.

A black-haired Kid had been replaced by a white-haired Soul. He sat lackadaisically at the top of the stairs.

Standing slightly behind and to his right, I looked down. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't return my gaze, and seemed mildly annoyed. "That's a pretty funny question considering you're the one who didn't come home last night."

I rolled my eyes, and Soul was silent. I took a seat on the stone steps at his right.

_Sometimes I forget I have responsibilities to other people here…_

"Anyway, yeah, sorry. Death-san wanted me just taken to the closest place I could sleep."

Soul stretched and looked up; his arms hung over his legs as he sat. "Death-san?" The term seemed to confuse him. "You mean Shinigami-sama?"

I sighed, ignoring his bewilderment. "Yeah, that's what he has me call him. He thinks of me _kinda_ like his kid, _kinda_ not."

Turning to him, I stared at him for a moment; his uncertainty didn't immediately dissipate.

It took me a moment to comprehend what he was thinking.

My eyes narrowed, and I took great care in annunciating my words. _"Who_…did you think…it _was?"_

Soul appeared sheepish. "Well, you know…"

I twisted my torso sideways, and took my _right_ fist to his _right_ shoulder in a closed-fist punch.

"Don't be a weirdo!" I griped loudly.

Soul scowled and rubbed his arm. "Me, the weirdo?"

I cocked my head to the right. "Why would I address Kid with 'san' suddenly?"

His eyes were large and agitated. "I dunno! Thought it might be some…ya know…something _weird_ thing between you two…"

"No, no, no…_sheesh,_ it's because Shinigami-sama prefers it. And just between you and me – speaking of weird – I think he likes the concept of having a 'daughter' of sorts."

He finished rubbing his arm and put them back in his lap. "For some reason that reminds me of Maka's pervert dad."

I snorted a laugh. "Let's just say there's a good reason they are partners."

Soul stretched and stood, and I followed suit.

"Home?" He questioned. Even though he didn't appear upset, his mind didn't appear to be where we were standing.

We strolled down the stairs and started on the long walk home.

The space between us was filled with awkward moments of silence, and wind.

Soul kicked a stone on the pavers; it skipped across three stones. "I take it you're okay."

I put my arms above my head and stretched again. Sleeping in those fancy clothes awkwardly next to Kid didn't seem to have agreed with my back. "Outside of being starving, yeah."

Soul seemed embarrassed, but wanted to remain his "cool" self. _"Maka_ was the one who was worried; she insisted I try to find you this morning."

I played along. "That's _so_ like her."

As we walked past an alleyway, a flash of movement caught my eye – it was the swishing of dark colored robes. It drove me to come to a halt in the middle of the road.

Soul took an extra step, and than came to a halt. "What's the matter?"

I blinked. "That woman…" The robbed walkers passed from view. "…what is _she_ doing on this side of town?"

I shook my head and started to walk again, but the swish of the robes could be seen on the edge of the alleyway.

Pulling Soul, I pushed him against the wall behind me, and leaned around the corner looking towards the woman.

"What's the matter?" Soul whispered.

I leaned outwards and abruptly clamped my left hand over his mouth.

"WBHWIAHSSS!!" Soul muttered loudly.

"Soul…be quiet for a sec…" I hissed.

The robed woman moved out of my visual range, and I let my hand drop from Soul's face.

Soul inhaled and exhaled noisily. "Ahh! What was that about?!"

I continued to watch the alley. "The woman, I recognized her. But…why was she walking around in a hooded robe…and way down here?"

"Who is it?" Soul asked, looking confused.  
"The new housekeeper or maid or whatever she is at Kid's house."

He raised an eyebrow. "It's gotta be a coincidence. And it's not like its any your business…" As I started to walk away from him, he yelled: "Hey! Where are you going?"

I stopped a few steps down the ally, turned back to him, but pointed in the direction I planned to head. "I'm going to follow her."

Soul grabbed my left arm and started to drag me back. "Heck no, I have _no_ desire to explain to Kid why you got injured on _this_ one."

Trying to look innocent, I asked: "Who said I was going to get injured?"

Soul narrowed his ruby eyes. "Don't give me those big eyes. It's you. You'd probably get hurt in a padded room."

I glared at him. "Shaddap, ya punk."

His eyes widened, and his hissed. "Connecticut Yankee."

I turned on a dead-pan voice. "That's a terrible joke."

Sara suddenly returned to the corner of the alleyway, and stared at us from under her hood. It was impossible to see her expression, but I couldn't help but feel a chill just from looking at her. Squinting I could see her eyes, which felt cold and unfriendly. This wasn't the quiet, nervous woman I had seen just twenty-four hours before. After watching us for a moment, her purple-black robes fluttered beyond our vision.

Soul stared around the corner at the empty alleyway. "Did she hear us? We're like a half-block away."

I turned, and looked up at Soul. "There _is_ something weird about her, I tell you…"

***

**Later That Evening**

**Kid**

I apparently picked a bad time to return to Shibusen. As soon as I hit the door to the Death Room, I could hear Stein's voice echoing.

"This is too much! You can't go around making threats like that to students!" There were several stomping noises. "Aren't we taking this supervisory role a little too seriously, Sempai?"

Spirit was also involved, but his voice was considerably louder. "That isn't what I'm worried about! I fear that if we leave her alone too long, she'll go after the Demon Sword _on her own!"_

"I _can_ hear you Sempai, there's no reason for the yelling…everything echoes in here..." Stein complained, while sticking his left finger in his left ear. "Sai and Justin were _never_ that close, emotionally, anyway…but I _know_ they relied on each other, on some level. They had a bond that was held together for different reasons than most people, but it functioned to keep some sort of relationship between them intact…"

Spirit bit his lower lip. "Shinigami-sama, I looked over it again, and I'm still not seeing anyone suitable on the list."

Stein seemed to want to keep the situation simple. "When Kid returns have him come and see me. As a Gun Meister, Sai _might_ be able to interface with the Thompson sisters. And it eliminates the problems with Kid."

Father seemed bemused, and nodded. "Oh, yes, that would work."

I tapped my foot, nervous for reasons I couldn't vocalize. "I apologize…but I overheard Father and you…"

Stein lowered his head, and scratched the back of it with his left hand. "Sorry Kid, I really wanted to discuss this with you privately first."

_Liar…_

I stuffed my hands into my pants pockets, wrinkling my jacket. "It's not a problem for me, and I don't believe the sisters will have a problem with it. They are starting to view her as a sort of sister, anyway."

Standing there made me more agitated. The Demon Sword was far too dangerous to Shibusen. As I walked away, I could hear Stein pipe up again:

"You didn't _seriously_ think that pairing someone with years of high-level training and the blood of the Shinigami with a _neophyte_ Meister was a _good_ idea, did you, Sempai?"

"Stop that, you're making me look foolish." He laughed, but his voice was cold.

Stein must have been snickering. "Why would I do that? You do a pretty good job of doing that all on your own."


	47. Chapter 46 Under the Influence, P1

_Chapter 46: Under the Influence, Part 1_

**Death the Kid / Sai Summers**

**Kid**

While my mission to retrieve one of the demon tools from the scorching desert had been successful, things simply weren't going right this evening. Standing outside of Soul and Maka's apartment, I asked over my left shoulder: "Was it really necessary for you two to come with me?

Liz lifted her chin and looked away snidely. "Unlike some of us, we _like_ being social. I want to hang out with our friends; is there something wrong with that?"

Patty smacked me on the back several times. "It's because Kid wants to spend time alone with Sai!"

I could feel my face warm.

Liz smirked. "Like he'd know what to do in that situation."

Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I considered: _Just ignore it….they're just fooling around…_

I knocked on the door, and within a few moments Maka opened it.

She had a bagel in her right hand and was chewing; she was also wearing conservative pajamas with an imprint of Father's mask on them. "Hey guys." She mumbled.

It occurred to me what time it was, and I felt uncouth. "Sorry to show up so late." I muttered.

Maka took a second to swallow. "No, it's fine. Soul and I are just watching TV; Sai's reading….which is rare…" Her mind and eyes traveled from me toward the interior of the apartment.

_Maka doesn't get that not _everyone_ learns _everything_ from books…_

Sai's door was open and she sat on her futon on the floor, not just reading, but surrounded by books. If there was any order to what she was looking it, it was hard to tell – the books were in a scattered mess. Most of them appeared to be from the library, but a few looked like newer books she purchased locally.

I knocked on the doorjamb. "It looks like you've got a library dumped on the floor…"

Sai didn't look up. "Yeah, I'm looking for something."

I bent down at the knees and picked up the closest two books; the spines gave away their content. "Are all of these books on witches?" I put the two down and picked up a third. "Did you try and check out everything Shibusen had?"

She didn't look up, and her eyes continued to scan the page

There was a moment of silence, and I could see her stop reading.

Sai seemed suddenly struck down with a thought. "Oh!" Sai threw down the book at her left, and crawled over to me on her hands and knees.

I was painfully aware she wore nothing but a short black dress with spaghetti straps, and fuzzy, black bath sandals.

My face felt hot. "Uh….Sai…I can see down your...."

"Forget about that!" Sai sat back on her ankles, folding her legs under her; she cut off my words at the same time. "Did you go back to the mansion or did you come straight here?"

I assumed she wasn't trying to be rude, but whatever she had to say had to be said right now. But some part of me was still compelled to correct her.

_Some habits are hard to break…_

"You didn't need to cut me off." I paused, trying to be watchful of my tone. "We came straight here…the girls are in the oth..." I gesticulated over my left shoulder with my right hand.

Sai didn't seem to be listening. "The woman Sara; Soul and I think we saw her out by Shibusen in a dark, hooded robe." Sai's eyes were intense. "Is she a Witch?"

I dropped my shoulders. "I'm not a hundred percent sure if she's a Witch, but I _knew_ she was suspicious, that's why Father allowed me to hire her."

Sai started to pound on my arms and chest with balled fists. "What the heck is wrong with you?! Are you _trying_ to put your life in danger?!"

I grabbed her hands, and she relaxed. "I knew what I was doing."

Her expression is dark. "I wish you wouldn't play detective unless you let me know…"

I tried to not laugh at her seriousness on the matter. "Because you want to play along or because you were worried?"

She laughed. "You're starting to sound like me."

Holding her hands, I noticed she was cold. "Aren't we a little underdressed?"

"This is _my_ house, and _my_ room." She smirked. "And I'm a little surprised you're complaining."

There was an abrupt knocking behind me, and I felt myself jump.

I released Sai, and swung around on my heels. "What is it?!" I shouted.

The sisters were standing behind me, with Liz holding a box.

Patty looked perplexed and shocked at the same time. "Kid …" She started, quietly.

"Ah…" I started to explain myself, but realized I had made a _faux pas. _

Turning fully around, Liz shoved a box at me, wrapped in brown paper. "Here. This is for you and Sai. Soul said he forgot to give it to her earlier."

She walked away from the door without another word; Patty stood there for a moment and watched Liz walk away. Turning back to me, she bit her lip and looked embarrassed. "She's been in a bad mood today, sorry."

I sighed. "It's not her fault…but her reaction _wasn't_ what I expected..."

*******

**Sai**

Normally, getting a package is a fun occasion for me. People rarely just give me things – unless it's Kid. And then it's usually something I don't need, can't use, or is way too expensive for someone like me.

_Okay, maybe it's not so of a rare occasion now…_

Kid had shut the door, and we sat alone with the paper-wrapped box in the middle of the floor.

Kid's eyes revealed his suspicion. "No indication of whom it's from?"

"No, not like last time at least." I told him quietly.

He pulled up one corner of the paper, lifting the box. "Are we going to open it?"

"Guess so…" I muttered, pulling off the paper, and pulling open the brown cardboard box that was wrapped in it. Inside was a double-sided set of Styrofoam bricks, which I pulled apart.

There were two units in the box, and two pairs of corded electrical unit boxes – to plug into a wall. The main units were a solid, shiny black plastic. They appeared to be electronic, but a simplistic technology at the same time.

Kid raised an eyebrow, and didn't appear to have the urge to investigate.

_These are probably beyond his comfort level…_

I quickly realized what there were.

One of the units in the box started to produce a ringing noise, like…a telephone.

_They're cell phones…_

I pulled the one making noise from the packaging and flipped the top half of it open. "Hello?" I questioned.

It was Stein. "I figured it had been some time since you'd seen a cell phone." His tone was level, but serious. "But I also knew you'd be the one who would answer it."

I sighed; comforted by knowing I had been right. "It certainly has been. I had to give up mine when I left for Shibusen."

Stein giggled, but it wasn't a comforting laugh. "Considering your criminal record, I'm surprised you didn't just _make_ one."

I was silent for a moment, and then pulled myself up from the floor, and to the other side of the room. I growled in the phone. "That file was sealed."

"I had it unsealed." He paused, as if he was reviewing it on the line. "Five counts of technological destruction and tampering. You certainly have your father's Tool skills." There was dead air for a moment. "Does Kid know this is _part_ of the reason you were sent to Iceland?"

I scowled, even though I knew he couldn't see it. "I was sent to Iceland because my mother's a lunatic who needs to be in a hospital." It was now my turn to pause. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" I hissed.

He laughed again, his tone lighter. "No, no, no…I'm just stating the obvious – you have your father's skills; you should be proud."

It was time to ask, and my tone turned dark. "Professor…what do you know about my father?"

"Honestly, not much; he and I weren't close. But everyone knew he was brilliant with technology." Stein seemed genuine this time. "Anyway, if you have those skills, I need your help; Shibusen needs your help."

His game of question and answer was waning on me. "What do you mean?"

"Like you said, you had to give up your cell when you arrived here. For so many years the school has relied on brute force to win its battles." "We just can't do that any more. The Witches and other groups are utilizing modern technology to enhance their skills and fortifications – some have gone so far as to build mechanized fighting machines – we need to compensate for that."

It was something I hadn't considered, and I was skeptical. "Okay…"

"So the deal is this. I put you in charge of fixing and maintaining the system, and I pay you. Consider it like a job."

_I need the money, I am living off of other people right now…_

I gritted my teeth. "I'll do it."

Stein lowered his voice. "There are two reasons I called right _now,_ though."

I met his tone. "And those are…?"

His voice was mechanical. "One, these phones and their lines are _very_ important. I am under the impression the witches cannot hear what someone says on the line, despite their abilities."

It seemed obvious to me that they would only release something like this out of the Tech Lab after testing like that had been done, so I bypassed the topic. "And…?"

I could hear the annoyance in his voice. "Justin's gone – he seems to have left the clinic under his own power within the last few hours." He paused for a few seconds. "And I'm afraid he might be involved with the enemy."


	48. Chapter 47 Under the Influence, P2

_Chapter 47 – Under the Influence, Part 2_

**Sai Summers **

I sighed. "How long have you suspected Justin?"

Stein's voice was cold. "Since he returned from the factory you were injured at."

His commentary made little sense. "But Justin wasn't attacked; only I was."

Stein sounded sure of himself. "Justin was the 'student' sent to clear out the mess following you getting hurt. I would have sent Kid alone, but Spirit had arranged for his detainment, and I figured it was too dangerous for anyone else."

I didn't understand; I hadn't seen him injured until he came from the desert. "Was Justin attacked at some point?"

"No, not in the traditional sense. We'll discuss this at a separate time." There was a pause. "Sai, push the red button on the phone."

I did, and then made the mistake of putting the phone back to my ear.

His voice rang loudly in my ear. "Can you hear me?"

I pulled it down from my head. "Yes, you're quite loud, thanks." I complained while rubbing my ear. "Would have been nice if you had told me that was the speaker button."

Stein ignored my complaint. "Can Kid hear me?"

I sighed. "No, hold on…."

Sitting down, I laid the phone on the phone on the box-top of the packaging it had come in; I looked at Kid who seemed detached from the situation. "Hey…don't look so baffled."

Kid scowled at me. "I know what a phone looks like…I'm just surprised, I guess."

Stein continued. "As I told Sai, it's imperative that we increase our technological prowess at Shibusen – we need to keep up with our enemies."

Kid let the situation go quickly. "Did you say that it appeared that Justin was not subject to an enemy attack in the physical sense?"

"From what I can tell, yes."

"Then he would have had to been infected by the black blood previously." It was obvious that Kid's voice was bitter.

"He may have been attacked in the past, and has been hiding it."

Kid balled his fists. "Father couldn't tell?"

"Independent Weapons – especially someone as skilled as Justin – would have no problem hiding those attributes. Your Father would have to be looking for something, and he trusts Justin…why question someone you have faith in?"

Kid and I looked at each other.

I tried to lighten the mood. "That is odd coming from a professor. Maybe you're the one really infected with the black blood."

There was a moment of silence.

Stein continued. "Anyway…Sai, do you know the story of Noah?"

My response was autonomic. "The guy with the big boat?"

I watched Kid put his right hand to his forehead with a light slap.

I dropped my shoulders. "I take it that wasn't the right answer."

There was a moment of static from the phone and Stein resumed talking. "Noah was one of the original Eight Shinigami, and assistant to Eibon in the creation of the Demon Tools."

_Eibon…_

" I'm going to back up a moment, though. I want you to _fully_ grasp the situation." He paused. "The original Demon Weapons were created by the Witches, in order to create chaos in the world. The Demon Tools were created to combat that. However, the Witches were not aware of how powerful their creations were. They gained the ability to reason good versus evil. And most people…_things_…with a conscious consider rampant destruction as evil. But it wasn't until they began to be told to kill humans that they realized they had a choice. And slowly the Weapons left the grasp of the Witches and pleaded with the Shinigami for help. They agreed to take the Weapons under their wing."

I pondered that thought. "How many Weapons were there back then?"

"Too many, almost; and far too many unskilled ones. Great power is only useful if utilized properly. It was one of the reasons Shinigami-sama created Shibusen; to harness the power of the untrained and organize them."

I took a stab at comprehending the situation. "Am I correct in that the original Meisters came from people who were close to these Weapons?"

"There was no real pattern or plan in the beginning. Meisters come from anywhere, for any reason. The old texts say that some felt 'compelled' to come, though."

_Wrong again…I suck at this game…_

Stein must have noticed my line of questioning. "Someone doesn't study much, do they?"

I shrugged, even though only Kid could see. "No one's perfect, Professor."

"Anyway, as you can imagine, the Tools had no real use at this point – not with people or creatures with _minds and souls_ of their own. So the Tools were put to other uses. Kid got to see one of them in action recently – as the tuning tool for the Desert Train."

I looked over at Kid, whose eyes and mind seemed distant.

"Hmm." Was all I said in response.

"Eibon noticed that using the tools for other purposes was of large benefit to the Shinigami, and set to work making other Tools that could be helpful in non-battle related situations." "He also helped in the creation of some of the education systems used at Shibusen – this was around the time of the founding, about 800 years ago."

I couldn't understand what was wrong with that. "So…all of that seems fine…"

Stein's tone was dark. "However, his assistant Noah wasn't satisfied. Maybe he was just so used to battle technology."

"Okay…"

"Well, Noah, the obsessive note taker he was, set about documenting and cataloging the Tools that had fallen into disuse." Stein paused, as if he had to recall all of the data from memory. "This catalog became part of ARK…which is also known as the _Book of All Things_."

The problem wasn't obvious to me. "So what's wrong with that?"

"Well, the more Noah learned, the more obsessed he became with power. A usual case of 'with great power comes great responsibility.'"

I stated the obvious. "That doesn't sound good."

"Well, around three hundred years ago, Eibon became curious as to what Noah was working on so diligently – so one night Eibon decided to ask Noah what he had been working on, and Noah showed Eibon his notes. Eibon decided he could use they paperwork as the basis of a new Tool. He would even give half-credit to Noah himself.

You may have noticed some of the Tools are double-signed. These are the Tools that having multiple creators. All of the others ones were created by Eibon alone. He felt it unnecessary to sign Tools that he alone created."

Stein sighed. "Anyway…getting off track..." The sound of papers shuffling could be heard through the phone line. "Eibon looked at what could be made from the notes, and decided that ARK would be best used as a holding place for all of the data it could find, and an unlimited amount of pages for more to be written down: the ultimate word-vault. Oh, and don't get confused – what is known as the 'true' Vault is in the basement of Shibusen, and it just a storage room. The Original Tools – the ones created at the beginning – that have fallen into disuse were stored in there.

Not surprising, Noah was _thrilled._ Here would be a creation he helped make, as Noah had become obsessed with the power. If he could write down the statistics of the Tools, they could be created over and over again, as weapons of war. Unknowing of Noah's intentions, Eibon was very close to doing just that, but fate intervened.

In a rare event, Shinigami-sama had fallen in love with a woman named Mari – who just happened to be human. While I'm not too familiar with the personal matters behind the affair, I can tell you that within a year she was pregnant.

It then came to light that Mari would lose her life upon giving birth – those humans who give birth to the children of the Shinigami have their souls absorbed by the child during the birth. It's no one's fault – it just _happens._ Mari was well-aware of her fate, and accepted it willing; however Shinigami-sama was not so willing to do so. He requested Eibon to adapt ARK's purpose to one of _true_ _storage_ _of objects_, not just data – the _Book of All Things_. It was the only chance they had to keep Mari alive, by placing her in a location where time wouldn't advance. He wanted to make ARK a place of 'no-change' – where no one ages, and no one dies.

Unfortunately, Mari went into labor early, and ARK was not yet completed. Eibon used all of his resources in an attempt to complete it. Eibon was hindered by the fact that Noah turned on him when he learned what ARK would be used for – not as a Tool he could use in combat, but as nothing more than a place to keep people, places, and things – a vault. Without Noah's assistance, the completion was slowed.

When Eibon learned he wouldn't be able to save Mari's physical body, he decided to try and save her _essence._ He used some of her blood to complete the writing on ARK; her soul was wrestled away from the child's grasp, and was used to create TESLA, a tool that provides _Soul Sight,_ said to have the ability to restore sight to those who have lost it. However, TESLA has never functioned properly, and is currently in Shibusen's vault.

Things at Shibusen changed afterwards. ARK disappeared shortly after – and with it, Noah. Feeling a failure, Eibon went into hiding; nothing has been heard from him sense the incident with Mari. Shinigami-sama made a rule that no human was allowed to bear the child of the Shinigami – and all relationships have to be arranged."

My eyes narrowed. _That's why Kid went to ask permission…_

Stein could be heard sighing. "And as I am _sure_ you have figured out, that child is Kid – that marks his age at nearly three-hundred years old. Two-hundred and ninety-four years, exactly."

Staring at the phone, I reached my right hand out to where Kid was supposed to be sitting, but nothing was there. I turned and realized he was gone. I jumped up and ran to the door; holding myself up with the doorframe, I surveyed the living room. The patio doors were open and the floor-length curtains blew in the wind.

Soul stood watching the door, eating an apple. "He jumped off the patio…how weird…"

My confusion broke. I yelled "Kid!" and headed towards the open doors.

Maka threw he arm up in front of me, grabbing me at the shoulders, and forcing me to stop. "Clothes, Sai, clothes! Don't go outside like that!"

I struggled against her. "Let me go!" I shouted.

She flipped me around and pushed me back towards my room. "Go change!"

I grabbed for the closest things in my closet and dumped my nightgown on the floor. It turned out to be a short, black, pleated skirt and the form-fitting top that the sisters had given me recently. In my haste and confusion I nearly forgot my boots – but there was no way I could go out into the streets at this point without them.

When I appeared in the doorway, Maka yelled, "That's not much better!"

This time I passed her and her words by. I took the living room in three or four strides, but came to a halt on the patio.

Holding onto the wrought-iron patio railing, it was obvious he was long gone.

"Sai!" Soul's voice appeared behind me. "We'll help you look for him."

I was silent for a moment, and stared out into the city.

"You're not going to ask why he ran." I asked quietly.

Soul shrugged. "It's Kid. He'd run away if your ribbons were mismatched."

My eyes burned. "Soul…thanks."

He held onto the railing as well. "Go, we'll be behind you."

I gripped the railing, steadied myself, and then threw myself over it. I landed with as light of a thud as possible in combat boots. "I'm going to Shibusen!" I yelled upwards at Soul.

Soul cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. "We'll check his house, then."

I raised my arm and hand up at Soul in confirmation. "Alright!"

Maka appeared on Soul's right, on the balcony. "Hey! Keep it down! The neighbors are going to get mad!"

I bit my lip and look away from the balcony.

"Here!" she yelled down, and I looked back up. Maka threw down a black bundle of cloth towards me. When I unwrapped it, I found it to be a scarf.

"You're going to freeze. At least wear that, too!"

I tied it around my legs as a belt, and ran off in the direction of the school.

Maka's voice echoed in the empty alleyway as I ran away. "Hey! Wear that right!"

***

My gut instinct had been correct. I found Kid sitting on the top step of Shibusen's entrance. The moon was behind him, and he sat in shadow.

I saw Kid eyeing my bare legs and midsection as I came up the stairs. He appeared to be frowning. "Why on Earth are you dressed like that this late at night? You're going to freeze."

"I didn't take much time to consider it." I grinned mockingly. "Someone jumped off my balcony, and I had to find out where he went."

He half-smiled. "I admit it was _not_ my most mature moment."

I wasn't going to let him talk away the problem without an explanation. "Are you running from me, or from what happened tonight?"

"I'm afraid that if I'm happy, something terrible will happen." Kid hung his head. "And I'm afraid…now you can see who the monster _really_ is."

I snorted. "If either of us gets to be worried about rejection, I think it should be me. No matter how I am changed by the blood infusion, I am still human at the core. At the end of the day you will leave _me_ because we can't be together – you will live far longer than I can."

"I…ran because I feared this would be the one thing that _would_ chase you away…I never wanted you to know." He squeezed. "Anyone can become strong, but only…only the truly _bizarre_…can live for _so_ long…"

I flipped the situation on him. "And what if I'm on borrowed time, Kid? We don't know if the Shinigami blood will cause my body to decay."

He scowled and looked away. "Don't say that…not after what I did."

"But you know…" I provoked. _Be honest with me, damn it… _

"Stop!" He yelled, holding his head with his hands. "Just…stop…tonight has been hard enough to hear."

I decided to let the subject go; I sat down on the step below him, between his legs.

He buried his face between my left shoulder and neck. "I'm sorry…I'm…I'm just scared you'll suddenly be gone."

I took a moment to wallow in self-pity. "So am I."

But my mind wouldn't let something else rest. _Say it!_

I held onto him the best I could in the awkward position we sat. "You know, I do realize that I don't always express I care."

Kid didn't respond.

I didn't like him not paying attention. "Eh, Shinigami-kun …"

Kid jolted slightly. "Eh? You said…"

"Kid…I love you...." I whispered.

His words were quiet. "What did you say?"

I put my right hand into his hair, messing the pattern the white stripes on his head fell in. "I said 'I love you.' Why are you so surprised?"

"I…" He started.

There was the sudden sound of slicing flesh and ripping cloth. Something cold and hard stabbed me in the leg.

I arched my back and saw the reflection of the end of a sword blade; it jutted from Kid's chest and was close enough to me to draw blood from my leg.

He leaned back slightly, allowing me to see the look on his face. The color was draining from Kid's face as I watched. "Sai…_run_…it's _here_…" He muttered; blood ran from the left corner of his mouth and his golden eyes dulled. I gingerly put my right hand to his left cheek, and found it growing colder the longer it was there.

Looking behind him at his left, a shadowy figure stood teetering.


	49. Chapter 48 Lamb of Longinus

_Chapter 48 – Lamb of Longinus_

**Sai Summers / Death the Kid**

**Sai**

The shadow jerked the sword from Kid's back aggressively, and drops of blood flew back. He or she held it up, and the moonlight reflected off of both the blade and Kid's blood which ran down the hilt. While being dressed in a long, black dress with light purple cropped hair, it was difficult to determine the Meister's gender.

As they tottered back a few steps, Kid had enough room to rise up and stand on the patio. His mental state switched from confusion to blatant anger; his black soul erupted out of his body and spread wide in a sphere. For a brief second I caught the sign of rage filling up his eyes as he turned away from me. "You…" He pulled his body erect. "How _dare_ you interrupt us!"

Kid's hands went down to his sides but he realized quickly he was without a Weapon. It didn't stop him from then swinging his right arm back up, and punching the Meister square in the face.

The Meister stumbled a few steps backwards and put a white-gloved hand to its face. "Waa, how do I handle someone who punches me?"

I rose to stand on the patio, and watched the scene curiously. _Who the hell is he talking to…? _

A second, more nasally voice could be heard in the darkness. "Just kill him! You didn't do it last time and we got in trouble!"

_Last time…this is the Demon Sword Meister!_

Being in this kind of situation didn't appear to faze Kid, at least not on the outside. He put his bent-elbow arms up in front of him, and planted his feet a foot apart. It was easy to forget his martial arts skills with his Meister skills, but it seemed evident he planned to take the Sword Meister on without his Weapons.

Kid's gaze flashed to me momentarily and then returned to the enemy at hand. "You won't be able to cut through him…just stay back!" He yelled.

"No way! I'm not letting you…" I started.

The Demon Sword Meister was no fool and Kid's protective words backfired – the Meister came straight for me instead of initiating battle with Kid.

I swapped the scythe for a simple pole by shrinking the blade away, and swung it at the Meister's head as they closed in. It made contact with a smacking sound, but it only ceased his charge at me. He then fell back a mere step or two; it wasn't enough to cause any serious threat to him.

I took a step back and found my heel at the edge of the patio steps.

_Think, Sai…come on! What did Maka and Stein do in this situation…? How did they stop it last time?!_

There was no time to come to a logical conclusion. It had taken Stein and Spirit to restrain the Demon Sword.

Kid was suddenly at my left. "Sai! Duck!" He yelled, landing a right-kick to the Meister's head.

The close-combat forced me backwards, but there was no where to go. Seconds before I was due to tumble backwards down the stairs, Kid grabbed my left arm and tried to steady me.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't anticipating his next move.

Kid threw me from his right, across his body, landing me at edge of the patio at his left. It was a feat of strength few others could have accomplished.

"Sai, run!" He shouted aggressively. "Do it!"

I landed with a thud against the patio wall and my vision vibrated upon contact. When I looked up again, I found Kid had planted himself between the Meister and me.

As I struggled to grasp the situation, my resolve held fast. _Running seems stupid…I can't be like that! I don't want to make him have to save me again!_

When I didn't immediately leave, Kid looked over his left shoulder at me. The Meister took it as an opening and charged at him. With the Demon Sword in his right hand, he brought the dark purple short-sword down in the space between Kid's neck and right shoulder blade. Darkened blooded spurted up from the entry point. His tie ripped apart and blew off; the Shinigami mask tie-tack he wore floated into my view.

The Meister jumped backwards a half-dozen feet, as Kid stumbled in place. His head hung down for a second, and I could see Kid panting just from watching his back.

Some part of me wanted to scream, but I remained frozen by the scenery.

Apart from the brutal attacks it possessed, it seemed that the closer the Meister came to me, the louder the screams filling the space in my ears were; the pain burned to the point where I swore my ears were bleeding.

Watching Kid being brutalized and the pain in my ears drove me to stand. _If I can't cut it, I'll bash it to death instead!_

I imagined a warhammer from the myths of Thor, made from smooth, dark purple stone and it formed in my hand. Heavier than the scythe or pole, I had to redistribute my weight to hold it. I only had to stand still for a moment however, as I opted to charge head-long against the Meister.

Kid reached out to halt me, but I avoided him with a side-step to my left.

_I can make it be over…the pain will be over…_

My vision bobbed with my movement and I relied on the purple hair of my target as my point of focus. Pulling the hammer back over my right shoulder, I let it swing around and smash into the Meister's left temple. He teetered both on his feet and on the edge of consciousness. The Meister lost contact with reality when he fell backwards and hit the pavers with a thud a few seconds later.

I stood over him for a moment, panting. Planting my legs a foot a part, I readied myself a second time to smash the hammer into the Demon Sword Meister's head. As I pulled it back over my right shoulder…

"Stop!" Kid's voice echoed. "Don't kill it!"

Turning and seeing a bloodied Kid on my right, I halted.

*******

**Kid**

Putting my left arm around Sai's shoulders, I pulled the handle of the warhammer upwards, pointing the head towards the ground. "Don't…don't dirty your hands with this. He…she's not a Kishin yet. Don't do something you'll regret." I tried to hide the pain in my voice, but I doubted I sounded convincing.

The warhammer shimmered out of existence in her hands, and I couldn't help but feel a little safer knowing she wasn't carrying a giant mallet at the moment. It also spawned me to smile slightly. _Maybe I don't need to worry about her safety as much as I do…_

"Kid…" She reached towards my chest to soothe me, but I had to brush her hand away. Nothing could be a distraction at this moment; there was no way to guarantee our safety yet.

I knew I was visibly hunched over, and moved a little slower than normal from the pain, but I still did my best to hide it. "I'll go get Spirit and we'll have him arrested." I smiled once more and then took several steps away from her. "We'll do this…do it the right way."

There was a sudden swishing sound, like a knife slicing through the air. It drove me to stop in my tracks.

_What's that sound…?_

It rapidly grew louder; it now sounded like _a_ _hundred_ _knives_ cutting the air.

I filliped around and saw something dark and reflective heading towards the area behind Sai.

I knew my eyes were huge, and I was frozen in place. All I could do was yell, "Sai! Don't move!"

Wind rushed behind her back flipping her hair up; impaling and cracking the stones at her right and behind her. Those illuminated by the moonlight appeared to be shaped like arrows.

Her face quickly lost color, and her voice shook. "Ooh…! That was _close_…"

I gritted my teeth. "I should have known someone this weak wasn't acting independently." I stormed back over to Sai as fast as my condition would allow for; I pulled her against my chest and held her there, despite the burning in my wounds from the pressure she placed on me.

To make matters worse, out of the corner of my eye I noticed the Meister stirring.

Sai tried to push away from me, but I held her fast. "Kid, go, hurry…get help." She begged.

"There's no time. It's too late." I tried to sound resolute, but even I wasn't prepared to face _both_ the Demon Sword Meister and a Witch at the same time. "I won't leave you alone, I promise."

_But how…I can't fight against both at once…_

*******

**Sai**

_Damn it, we're sitting ducks…we need to make a break for it…_

"Kid…" I begged. "We should run…"

If my words continued I didn't hear them. Screams erupted all around me. I covered my ears, as if it would shut out the noise

At that moment I was either dropped or pushed forward by Kid, and I hit the pavers hard on my hands and knees; the sounds continued to echo in my ears but had lightened for the moment.

Even though I couldn't see how it started, a glance to my right showed that Kid had managed to engage the Meister at the other side of the patio, increasing the distance between the two of us.

While it might have been coincidence, the distance _seemed_ to lessen the screams in my ears – the farther away I was from the black-blooded Meister, the clearer my head was.

He had managed to get the Meister away from me, but I would have to keep the Witch occupied.

_We need help! Why hasn't anyone figured out we're here?!_

I created the warhammer in my hands, but upon looking down at my hands quickly changed my mind. Even though nothing outside of a shield would fully stop the arrows, something sharp and wide might deflect a few of them. I warped the hammer back into my standard scythe and swung it around in a circle above my head.

It was a move I had picked up from Maka, but I wasn't _nearly_ as good at it.

When the sound of the arrows flying could be heard again, I brought the scythe up in front of my face. I pulled my left arm in and pushed my right arm out, putting the blade's widest part between myself and the arrows. Despite the odd position, using the scythe to block the onslaught initially worked, but with each jet-black arrow that made full-on contact it cracked a little more. Several slipped by around the blade's cracking edges, one slicing my arm and one my right leg; both burning on contact. I resisted grabbing at my wounds in hopes of blocking my face with what remained of my scythe. After a few moments the scythe disintegrated in my hands into shards. I put my arms up in front of my face as a few last arrows shot past me, digging into the patio's stones.

I went down to my knees once again, panting. _This won't work! _

I looked skyward as she began babbling about snakes again, waiving her arms up and down in the sky.

I tried to think of what weapon could stop the onslaught, but nothing I knew I could make came to mind.

Driven by necessity, I forced myself to stand once more, but the pain in my arm and leg warped my attention. _She's going to do it again! Watch what's going on, fool!_

The sound of air rushing could be heard, and I stumbled back automatically, as though distance would save me.

Kid slid in from stage-right a few steps in front of me, threw his arms up in front of his face, and met the piercing arrows head on. He used himself as a shield against the attack, his body absorbing the impacts.

Time seemed to slow down; it was as if I could see every hit, every mark the arrows made, and every exit wound. Blood droplets quietly splattered my clothes and skin, and shards of his blood-stained clothes floated away slowly in the wind.

He stumbled while trying to step forward, and went down to the ground on his right knee.

In shock, I lacked the words to express myself. "Kid!" Was all I managed to say while reaching out to him.

He coughed, and his voice was horse. "It's not as bad as it looks." Kid turned to look at me over his left shoulder; he attempted to smile but it quickly became a grimace. He fell over onto his right side, and I could see blood flowing freely from his wounds. I covered the two steps between him and me, dropped to the ground, and hovered over him. Any other hits he took could mean the difference between him surviving and not; I would have to take them for him.

I took a brief moment to look up, and found she was readying for another barrage. "Pardon…me _children…_it's time we finish this off."

_She's goin' to kill us…we're gonna to die…we're gonna' die…_

I started begging for his attention, shaking him gently. "Kid…Kid…wake up..._please_…_please wake up_…"

His eyes were half-open and he wasn't moving. I could hear him breathing, but it sounded raspy. Blood from the original injuries by the Meister seeped out onto the stones, filling in the gaps and cracks in the pavers. With only seconds to spare, I rested my head against his.

_He protected me until his body gave out…it should be me this time…_

I could hear the sound of the arrows rushing through space, but they never made contact with my flesh. Wide-eyed, I looked up.

Marie Mjölnir was standing in front of us, arms out wide. A convex neon-green barrier hovered in front of her. The arrows fizzled and melted when they came into contact with it.

"Miss Marie!" I shouted in disbelief.

She was certainly not pleased with the situation, even though I wasn't able to see her face. Her anger was visible in the leafy-green soul which twirled around her. "Witches like you are why Shibusen exists!"

I looked toward the sky. That's_ a Witch…?_

The floating woman could be heard clicking her tongue. "I don't feel like playing games with _Deathscythes_ right now, so I guess I'll be on my way." Her voice became thin and floated away. Darkness filled in the space where the Witch had been hovering, and she vanished from view.

Moments later, I could no longer detect her soul.

"Medusa!" Marie yelled, dropping the barrier in front of her. She dropped her arms and balled her fists in defiance of the situation.

When she realized her call was to go unanswered, Marie sighed and straightened the sleeves of her black and gold jacket.

Turning to me, she had to then ask me no less than three times if I was okay. I was in too much of a daze to comprehend her.

***

Having requested enough space to work,I sat a dozen or so feet from Kid. I had to watch Stein try to stop the bleeding in the field enough to transport him into the operating theater; Stein had assured me he would survive but it would take some recovery time. During this time, Marie made repeated attempts at comforting me while sitting at my side, but her words passed through me without effect.

The situation and horror appeared to be winding down. Having regained some composure, I rose and started to walk over to Stein. Doing nothing while Kid suffered wasn't something I was particularly good at.

At least, until the scene suddenly shifted in mood.

Unable to come down to the patio himself, Spirithadsent out a couple of uniformed guards to take the Demon Sword Meister to the basement's dungeon cells. Even though he was restrained, the Meister for the last several minutes had not been fully conscious. Suddenly he became hysterical at the witch's disappearance in the arms of the guards, who were trying desperately to restrain him. He stared up at the sky where the Witch had originally been, but only those on the patio could hear what came next.

"I got one! I got one of them! Did I do a good job?!" When the Meister screamed, abet infected by _some_ sort of mania, the voice sounded distinctly feminine instead. Regardless of gender, they didn't seem to rationalize that Medusa was long-gone, and they had been abandoned to the hands of Shibusen.

Other screams rose up in my ears again, blocking out Marie's words and the Meister's tormented calls; my eyes shifted across the scene. Someone in black flickered briefly on the edge of the patio at my left, and briefly distracted me.

All I could understand was that it appeared to be a young man. _Justin…? No, no blond hair… Who…who is that…?! More monsters…?!_

However it wasn't enough to pull away my sudden desire to destroy the Sword Meister; it only seemed to _heighten_ it. The screams pushed me further into violence.

But this time it seemed beyond my control to halt it. With clinched fists, I shrieked "Damn you!"

My ears rang. I covered my ears to no avail, and bent over at the waist in a thrash.

I could feel my erratic breathing in my chest and I became enraged._ You… you did this! Die! Die!_

Standing erect once again, I charged at both the Meister and at the pair of oblivious guards dragging him or her toward Shibusen's front door. Half-way across the distance I threw back my right arm and tried to replicate the mallet I had created earlier. But without concentration it looked more like a spiked, meat tenderizing mallet than the smooth, chiseled curves of my previous warhammer.

The two guards began to pull the Meister towards the front door of Shibusen as quickly as they could. Their jerky movement showed their awareness of how little their chances of escaping a trained Independent Weapon were…

***

**Kid**

It was difficult to focus under the pain. But even through my blurred vision, I _thought_ could see Sai's soul growing and warping in colors, but there was no way to confirm it.

"Why is her soul changing?" I asked of Stein, even though speaking was a challenge.

Stein was staring at the scene, lost in thought. "She's… her soul is changing…" He blinked several times, and stared again. "She's trying gain control over her Weapon nature...finding the root of all of her abilities…"

I squeezed my eyes shut, and then reopened them slowly. "The screaming…why does the screaming…"

Stein adjusted his glasses on his nose. "It's an endless loop of Soul Resonance feedback." He adjusted a towel and bandage tape. "Hold still, please."

His words didn't correspond to my thoughts. "But…isn't it…she's hearing the souls…?" I muttered.

_Is what I told her wrong? Did I give her false hope that it would stop someday?_

Stein returned to trying to pull together the hole in my chest with temporary stitching, talking about anything else to distract me. "Independent Weapons on their own cannot Resonate – this is to keep them from overloading their nervous systems. But…" Stein stabbed an open area particularly hard, and blood squirted out. "The Shinigami blood is trying to repeal that restriction. And the Resonance that's being created has nowhere to go because she is both Meister and Weapon."

I tried to sit up after he completed a few stitches, but Stein pushed my shoulders back down. "I did this…I need to stop it." I protested.

"You're not in any condition to go anywhere." He retained his hold on me to keep me from rising farther. It was more symbolic than actual. I likely could have thrown him off if I was truly determined. Instead I simply lay back down.

_Maybe I'm afraid to face this…this isn't what I expected…_

"You can't stop it anyway." Stein smiled, which seems eerily out of place. "She wants the power, but can't yet figure out how to control it. It's something she will eventually gain." He looked back at her. "…I hope."

***

**Sai**

I could hear more background noise than previously, but who was there and what they were doing was beyond my consideration at the moment. Everything but my intent-to-kill was white noise.

Had things been clearer, I might have considered the look on Stein's face as he ordered my friends to stop me _via_ brute force. I'm sure it would have been one of shock.

_Or not, considering his sadistic nature…_

I barely heard him over the pounding of my own heart, yell: "Black Star! Stop her!"

I was already three-quarters of the way to my target by the time Black Star attacked. Even though I couldn't see his attack, I was jolted as if hit with a Taser; Black Star had thrown his soul into a shockwave of energy to stop my assault.

I came to a sudden halt, my steel-toe boots scratching against the pavers.

However, he must have not received the reaction he was expecting – I turned to him and Black Star remained motionless; he stared back at me in confusion. I stood still for another moment and blinked.

My agitation level didn't drop; being halted was a little more than a thorn in my side.

I quickly scanned the patio with my eyes, but I no longer felt the soul of the Meister. My mind, in its demented state, concluded my plans to murder the Meister had been dashed. My tormented mind considered Black Star a hindrance in that moment. Horror spread to his face quickly; he must have realized the conclusion I had come to.

In reality, he was a friend who was standing at the wrong place at the wrong time. And even though I saw terror in his face in the brief moment before I did it, I wound up and smashed the hammer at the left side of his head. It sent him flying to the other end of the patio; he landed against the front door. The hammer broke apart in my hands from the impact and I was left standing alone, and confused.

As he lay on his back, he lifted his right hand, and made the "thumbs-up" gesture. I heard him mutter loudly: "Woman with giant hammer – very sexy." His hand then flopped back down.

Through my vision was blurry, it appeared that Tsubaki was kneeling over him moments later. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear her words.

The adrenaline that had built up from the situation suddenly plummeted; I was both calming down, and becoming more afraid of looking at Kid's condition up-close at the same time. I took several steps towards him and dropped abruptly to my knees, no longer strong enough to support myself physically or mentally.


End file.
